Through Different Eyes
by Mirandoo
Summary: History had repeated itself, and now James Sirius Potter is left with the Dursleys as his father had been. But something is different, and Dudley Dursley made sure things would not be the same. Things would NOT be the same...
1. Prologue

Prologue- The Man Who Died

It was a cool, crisp evening in late October, when the happy couple were walking through the tiny village, arms linked around a small boy and girl, dressed as wizard and witch.

"Evening missus!" the little boy said as the old woman stalked past, long cloak sweeping the ground as she walked, "Nice costume!"

The woman scowled at the little family, pulling her hood over her mane of wild black hair, disguising her inhumanly pale face, her heavily hooded eyes. Almost involuntarily the mother pulled her son close to her, hugging him tightly as the four continued on to the next house. The cloaked woman also went on along the road, but in the other direction, she knew where they were, _he_ had made sure of that. Now she would do the task her master had always wished to do, she would perform what had lead him to his death, lead her to hers. But she was not that woman anymore, she had been re-born, she was not who she had once been… she was the Dark Lady, evoking a new age of fear, people trembled at the name _Triste_, Lady Triste…

And there it was, the cottage in which his parents had perished before him, the house in which he would perish now. The charm had been broken, the secret-keeper had made sure of that, and she could see the little family through the window of their cottage, unaware that she was watching them. She lifted the latch on the gate, and it creaked slightly, but the family didn't seem to notice, Harry was bouncing the little brat on his knee, as the red-head made butterflies erupt from her wand, as he clapped, trying to catch them before they became showers of sparkles. She continued down the path, withdrawing her wand, skeletal hand clasped around it, until she reached the cottage door.

BANG! The door flew open, and sooner that anyone would have thought possible, Ginny Potter was in the hallway, no wand in her hand, Ha! The same foolish mistake of her father-in-law, did she ever think her life would end as James Potter's had done? She didn't think so.

"Harry! Its her! She found us! Take James and go, anywhere, somewhere safe, keep him alive!" the woman cried, pushing the mop of red hair from her face. She would not make the same mistake as her master, she would not offer them a choice!

"_Avada Kedavra!_" she said slowly, Ginny slumped to the floor, as lifeless as s crumpled puppet which had lost it's strings. Harry Potter was scrambling up the stairs, wailing child in his arms, trying to escape his inevitable death.

"Don't try to run, Harry Potter!" she cried after the sobbing woman, "There is no way you can survive. Boy-Who-Lived!"

Her voice was icily smooth as she stepped casually over the broken body of the girl, she clambered up the stairs with grace and composure, quite unlike Harry, carrying a screaming James.

"Please," Harry said, searching for his wand in his pockets whilst backing in the boy's nursery, "Please, don't kill James! Kill me!"

"I will not fall for this," Triste said coldly, "I have every intention of killing the lot of you."

She pointed the wand at the black haired man, who had burdened her master, who was cowering over the crying child, he was sitting in the cot.

"Please, have mercy!"

"_Avada Kedavra_!" she screamed, and the jet of green light did what it had been threatening to do since it first hit the boy in this house twenty years ago. The body of Harry James Potter fell to the ground like a rag doll, motionless.

"And now for the boy," Triste said slowly, "No more will the Potter name burden me. _Avada Kedavra_!"

And she broke, like that, staring into the boy's eyes she broke, and she had no body, no sight, no senses. She had to hide, to get away from this place which had caused her downfall, the downfall of her master… it had been so simple, Harry Potter had died, his wife as easily. He had not had the choice! The boy should have died with him, but the cries of the child resounded around the room. James Sirius Potter was very much alive.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Dursley of No. 17 Leggit Way were proud to say that they were positively normal, if you asked them. They had no business in any sort of 'funny-stuff', as they simply couldn't approve of such things. Dudley Dursley was a bank manager, and was positively certain that anything the least bit odd should be stomped on like an annoying fly. He was a larger-than-average man, who had the shrunken look of someone who had very recently lost a generous amount of weight, he had a thick layer of dirty blonde hair, which sat on his head like a pancake, and a thick blonde moustache to go with it. Apparently he was the spitting image of his father at that age, a comment Dudley did not appreciate hearing. Carol Dursley was Dudley Dursley's wife, she was very thin and had dark hair, cut in a neat bob around her horse-like face, and her favourite hobby was gossiping over hedges with the neighbours.

Dudley Dursley had everything he could ever have wanted, but he also had a secret, one even his wife didn't know about. One which he dreaded her ever discovering. You see, Harry Potter was Dudley Dursley's cousin, but they hadn't spoken in five years. Harry Potter was a wizard, and Dudley didn't like funny business like that. And it was on the morning of the 1st of November that Dudley truly begun to understand the woes of his parents, and why Harry Potter had grown up as he did.

Dudley got up at a quarter past seven, and picked out his most boring suit and tie, for work, before plodding down the stairs to the kitchen, where his wife Carol was feeding their one year old son, Dunstan, who was chucking yoghurt at the wall opposite. Carol Dursley sighed as she mopped up the fallen yoghurt, as Dudley chortled, "Little Tyke!"

Carol gossiped away as she wrestled Dunstan out of his high chair and up the stairs to have a bath. Dudley ate two slices of toast, before calling a quick good-bye to his wife, and stepped out of the front door.

And this is where the story truly begins, as when Dudley Dursley stepped outside that he discovered something which would change his life forever. He found a bundle, and inside was a baby. Dudley stared at it, dumbfounded. Why was there a baby on his doorstep? And more importantly, who's was it? It had to be a dream, he thought to himself, he would wake up any moment and get to work. But Dudley Dursley was not the one waking up, the baby opened it's little eyes to reveal two hazel brown disks.

"Dada?" the baby asked, waving his fat fists up at Dudley, he touched his hair, and it was only then that Dudley saw the deep red scar which lay on the boy's forehead. His heart sank.

"No, I most certainly am not your Dada," Dudley said irately, picking the boy up and placing him on his hip as he so often did with Dunstan, "Lets go to work, little boy."

Dudley continued to the car, he would take the child to his office, that was better than letting Carol know. And she would have to know… have to know _everything_. Dudley shuddered at the thought of confessing his past to his wife, and continued to dwell on the matter whilst he strapped the child into Dunstan's car seat. It was then that he noticed a small yellowy envelope attached to the boy's coat. he would recognise that envelope anywhere, after all, his house had once been full of them.

He picked up the letter, and turned it over to reveal the dark green wax seal bearing the letter H. Dudley gulped, he already knew what this must mean. Something had happened to Harry and his wife. This was their son, and he would be Dudley's own Harry Potter… he only had one thing to do, visit his parents.

* * *

After reading the letter, Dudley was in shock, it had said that the boy, James Sirius Potter… was to live with him and his family until he was of age, as although he had other relatives, they were not related to Harry, and so the blood protection would not stand. The car drove to a halt at the garage of number 4 Privet Drive, and he gulped as he picked up the babbling baby from the car seat. He walked along the gravel path, savouring each step, before ringing the door-bell.

He heard shuffling inside, before the door swung open to reveal a very horse-like woman, not unlike his wife.

"Dudders!" Petunia Dursley exclaimed, "You should have told us you were visiting! And you've brought little Dunstan too, let me see my grandson!"

"Hi mum," Dudley said awkwardly, as she continued to coo over James, "Its great to see you too, but this isn't Dunstan."

"What?" Petunia Dursley cried, looking more closely at the little boy, "Who is it then?"

"This is James," Dudley said, wincing as the flash of recognition seemed to swim through his mother's eyes.

"James who?" she said coldly, "Why do you have him, Diddy?"

"James Potter, mum. I found him on my doorstep."

At this Petunia Dursley fainted, caught just in time by her husband, who had come to the hall, a look of terror on his face. He picked up his wife and took her to the sitting room, laying her down on a sofa.

"James _who_?" Vernon Dursley said angrily, going purple.

"Potter, dad," Dudley said exasperatedly, "as in Harry Potter. The boy who you kept in a cupboard?"

Vernon scowled at this reminder of that boy, and said, "Well, why do you have him? Can't we call up the boy and ask him to take the brat back?"

"One problem with that dad," Dudley said sadly, "Harrys dead."

"HES WHAT?" roared Vernon Dursley, as though Harry had committed some final crime in order to spite his family.

"Dead, dad," Dudley repeated, "Some weird new Dark Witch killed him and his wife. Now James has to live with me and Carol."

"Why can't he live with _her _family? You know, some of his lot?"

"Blood protection, dad," Dudley explained, wondering when he became more intelligent than his father, "Harry died to save him. We're Harry's only living relatives, so he needs to live somewhere where Harry's blood is, and I've got the same blood as mum, so…"

"So this, James fellow," Vernon said, pointing a fat finger at the baby he was describing as though it was a colleuge at work, "He has to live at your house?"

"Yes dad," said Dudley, "He has to live with me and Carol."

Vernon Dursley was silent, and Petunia was still lying on the sofa, fanning herself.

"Good-bye, mum," Dudley said, turning to leave, "Bye dad."

"Wait!" Petunia called, "Be good to him, won't you. You can't let it happen again!""I know mum," Dudley said, as he stepped out of the door on which he had once fainted, "Bye-bye."

Dudley sighed, glancing at the gurgling baby in the back seat of his car. He couldn't let James' fate be as Harry's had been, he would do things right. He would not let history repeat itself.

* * *

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	2. Chapter 1 : Tree Tops

Chapter 1- Tree Tops

Near ten years had passed since that fateful November morning, but little in the Dursley household had changed. Infact, if one were to look in through the window of No. 17 Leggit Way, they mightn't have thought any time had passed at all. The only changed thing was the photos on the mantle piece, changing from photos of what could only be described as a little, dark-haired beach ball in multiple types of hat, to photos of two boys. Both had black hair, both brown eyes, one of dirty-dishwater, one of enticing hazel, one round-faced, one thin-faced, one had short, chubby legs, the other scrawny, knobbly knees. The two boys looked amicable in every single one of the photos, whether they were on holiday in Cannes, or playing football in the park in Woking.

As you can tell, James Potter was still alive and well, and to many peoples surprise, still living with Dudley Dursley. He was fast asleep, but soon to be woken as he was every morning, by the sound of his Aunt Carol.

"Up! Get up! Now!"

James woke with a start, and rolled over in his bed, he had never been a morning person.

"Up James!" Aunt Carol shouted again, before opening the door to James' bedroom, "James Sirius Potter if you do not get up this second I swear to god that I will make you stay here all day!"

James wriggled in his bedclothes before falling to the floor with a resounding _thump_. Aunt Carol chuckled slightly, as she went to give her nephew a hand up. She was firm, but fair, she didn't like to cause children pain.

"Give me a minute Aunt Carol," James said, standing up and ruffling his messy black hair.

"Does it really need messing up anymore?" Aunt Carol said disapprovingly.

"You know it won't make any difference if I don't!" James said irately, pulling clothes out of his cupboard, "I'll be down in a moment, I just need to get dressed."

"Okay," Aunt Carol said sternly, "But I did mean it about you staying home, Dunstan really wants you to come too, you know."

"I said I'd be quick!" James said, as his aunt left the room, closing the door firmly behind her. The movement caused a disturbance in the piles of junk that littered James' bedroom floor. His was the smallest room in the house, as well as the messiest, Aunt Carol would never let any room she had to spend as much time in get so messy, but James didn't mind. Actually the mess made him feel safe, he was often lonely.

James thudded downstairs, and could hear the sounds of his cousin opening his presents. Today was the 17th of February, Dunstan's 11th birthday. It was a constant source of annoyance to James that he was younger than his cousin, but the gap was only of a month, so made little difference to him either way. But it certainly created yet another thing Dunstan had up on James.

"Happy birthday, Dunners!" James said happily as he entered the kitchen, the smell of bacon wafting towards him, "Get many presents?"

"Uh-huh!" Dunstan said through a mouthful, spraying bits of bacon and egg all over his father, who wiped his face politely with a napkin.

"Dunstan, don't talk with your mouth open!" Scolded Aunt Carol, "You were quick James," she added, "Here's your bacon."

James smiled to himself, and sat down at his usual seat, before tucking into the delicious bacon sandwich. On the table in front of him was Dunstan's loot of presents, James counted quickly in his head, there were 15 presents, two less than Dunstan had received last year. They included an x-box 360 (Dunstan broke his last one), a digital camera, a mobile phone, a game called _Call of Duty 4_, and much to James' surprise, a book.

"15 presents, Dunst," James said ironically, "That's two less than last year…"

"I know," Dunstan said, "They're getting me two more when we go to Go Ape today."

"That's cool, Dunst," James said, snickering at how spoilt he was behind his hand, although he got on with his cousin, he did think he was a bit of an idiot, "I'm quite jealous."

"Not as cool as that scar though," Dunstan said enviously, "I'd give all my presents to have that."

"No, Dunst, you wouldn't," James said sullenly. This was another thing which annoyed him about his cousin, he ad not yet realised that bringing up James' scar was not a compliment to the boy, infact, he hated it. James had always resented his scar, it had made him stand out, but mainly because of what had happened to cause it.

James remembered the first time he asked what had happened to his parents, and he also remembered the answer he had received. It was almost all he knew about them.

"_Auntie Carol, how come I don't have a mummy and daddy like Dunstan does?"_

"_Your parents died in a car-crash when you were a baby. Now, be a good boy and don't ask questions."_

That had always been a rule in the Dursley household. Don't ask questions. It was the only thing Uncle Dudley and Aunt Carol ever really got angry about, questions. James couldn't ask anything about why he was living with his Aunt and Uncle, why he had a scar, why he couldn't go to see his parents graves, or why he didn't have a granny and grandpa like Dunstan did. He didn't like Dunstan's granny and grandpa. They looked at him like he was dirt, and treated him like it too.

James continued to munch on his bacon sandwich, trying not to think about his last visit to he great- Aunt and Uncles. It had not been a pleasant one. Uncle Dudley got up and folded his newspaper in two, before marching out of the room - probably to comb his moustache, James thought. Dudley was a very quiet man, who liked to keep himself to himself. James couldn't ask him about his father either, they only answer he ever got was _"Harry Potter saved my life, and for that I'm eternally grateful_._"_ At least that's more than he got out of Aunt Carol.

"Do the washing up, James," Aunt Carol said sweetly, gesturing to the plates, which James picked up grudgingly before tromping to the dishwasher and slipping the plates up. At that moment, the doorbell rang, and Aunt Carol rushed to the hallway singing, "I'm comiinng!"

She opened the door warmly to reveal Stanley Egginton, a small blonde boy in James and Dunstan's class. He was not a friend of James', as James was an out going boy, who had immediately clicked with Cygnus, another boy in their class who shared James' love of pranks. He looked similar to James, only he had green eyes, and floppy hair which fell gracefully around his eyes. He would not be coming on their day out, much to James' dismay.

Stanley tromped into the Dursley's kitchen, smiling and carrying an ornately wrapped present for Dunstan, his blonde mother followed. She was a good friend of Aunt Carol's, and she would be joining them at Go Ape. James liked Stanley's mother as little as he liked Stanley, as she was an unattractive woman who wore far too much make-up, and Stanley was just mean. The five of them set off to the car, Uncle Dudley was not coming, as he had work. James at in the back next to Stan and Dunstan, who were discussing Dunstan's new x-box. James didn't know much about x-boxes, as Dunstan rarely let James play on his before it was broken…

"and how are you James?" Mrs. Egginton sneered from the front seat of the car.

"I'm fine thanks," said James, "How about you, Mrs. Egginton?"

"I'm fine too thanks James," she said too-pleasantly, in a nasal voice.

"Are you sure? Because you sound as though you have a cold coming on," James said sarcastically. Dunstan sniggered next to him, at least the boy had a sense of humour, James thought.

"No, I'm fine thank-you," Mrs. Egginton said curly, continuing to gossip with Aunt Carol.

Aunt Carol shot James a warning look from the front of the car, and he sat still and quiet, listening to Dunstan's iPod for the remainder of the car journey. He missed Cygnus, and now was the moment that he wished he had a phone, or that Cygnus had a phone, as before then he had never needed one. James looked out of the window at the cars driving past, they were stuck in a traffic-jam, and the car next to them had two red-headed children in the back, one of them could have been James' age. He smiled at the boy, who smiled back. The father, who was driving, was also red-headed, he turned around to see James and waved at him. James could have sworn he was missing an ear…

They came to the edge of the motorway, and Aunt Carol turned off in the big 4x4, but not before James could wave goodbye to the boy and his father. It was strange to think that he would never see them again, that the little red-head had his own life, his own friends, his own parents. But James didn't have his own parents. He sighed and lay his head on the car door, closing his eyes and reflecting on his tiny life.

"Out, James!" barked Aunt Carol, she was always so defensive when she was wit Mrs. Egginton, "Quickly, we haven't got all day! The tickets are booked for twelve o'clock and its 11.58 now!"

James un-strapped his seat belt and hopped from the high-up car. Aunt Carol and Mrs. Egginton were still gossiping, and Dunstan and Stanley were play fighting on the little green by the dusty car park. It was far too cold to be on a day out, but Stanley loved Go Ape, so Aunt Carol had promised him a day there for his birthday. James simply couldn't understand why Dunstan even liked climbing trees, he couldn't get up them because he was so big. Aunt Carol and Mrs. Egginton led the way to the entrance, and James slowly followed, dragging his feet along the ground.

"Hello, I have tickets," Aunt Carol said proudly as though she was the queen, "Five, for me, my friend and the three boys."

"You the boys' muvva?" the man in the office said lazily to Aunt Carol, "Coz I need the permission of their parents before I can let you on, 'right?"

"I'm the guardian of one, mother of another," Aunt Carol said stiffly, and the man gave James a pitiful look. He hated when people did that, like just because he was an orphan he was helpless. He was far better at everything that Dunstan, that was for sure. But that look he got from strangers made him feel lonely. He had, after all, never been unwelcome at the Dursleys', simply unloved, and uncared about. He usually slipped along in the sidelines, never truly being part of the family. He wished he had a family, brothers and sisters and cousins. Real cousins, after all, Uncle Dudley and Aunt Carol weren't his _real_ Aunt and Uncle, they were his dad's cousin and his wife. Not real family.

James put on a harness for Go Ape, and went through the safety regulations, not that he needed to, he had never hurt himself in his life. Whenever he fell from a tree, he came out with no more than a bruise. When he was learning to swim, he could hold his breath for longer than any of the other children. And when he and Cygnus were running away from the Headmaster and he ran into a wall, neither were hurt. James begun to climb the intricate ladders and ropes up the trees of the course, he was miles ahead of Dunstan and Stanley, although he didn't look it, James was very fast.

He had soon finished much of the course, he was high in the trees, he felt like he was a bird. Like he was flying. He loved being up high, it was almost as though he was born to be in the air, born to fly. He loved the feeling of the wind rushing past his ears, sweeping across his hair and face. He felt free. He felt as though nothing could hurt him. He threw caution to the wind, and unclipped his harness, he was now completely alone up a fifty foot tree. But he didn't mind. He felt safe. James could see Dunstan and Stanley scrambling along on the lower courses below him, they were ants to him, he could stomp them out with one foot. He looked at his feet, and had a brilliant plan, he could jump down from the tree! He edged towards the lowest part of his higher course before lifting his leg, and jumping.

The wind was truly rushing through his hair and ears now, cold and fresh, whipping his skin. He could see the forest floor approaching. He was going far too fast, and he suddenly regretted his decision to jump. But he had stayed in the air far too long. And he landed on the ground with an almost inaudible thud, far too lightly.

"James Sirius Potter!" his Aunt's cry woke him from his trance. She had been watching him, she would be angry.

"Yes Aunt Carol?" James said sweetly, grinning angelically at her. He had a very persuasive smile.

"What," she asked angrily, "was that, young man?"

"I jumped from the tree?" James said, shrugging.

"A tree that must be over fifty feet tall! What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't."

Aunt Carol scowled at him, "Well, you're going to have to sit out until we go home. We can't have you pulling another stunt like that and ruining Dunny's birthday."

James also scowled, but agreed to sit down anyway, he had finished the course, so there was nothing more for him to do anyhow.

The journey home was a thoroughly sordid affair. Dunstan and Stanley were sill play fighting over Dunstan's new toy which Aunt Carol had bought him for his birthday, and Mrs. Egginton kept shooting James dirty looks, as if he were a pile of dog poo on the floor. James didn't enjoy it, and simply wished that the little red-headed family would drive past again, and wave to him…

* * *

"James, mate, how was _your _half-term?" Cygnus asked him on Monday morning when they got back to school.

"Dull," James replied, "It was Dunstan's birthday, we went to Go Ape."

"Surprised he could climb up the tree," Cygnus said, sniggering into his hand.

"I tell you, it looked like a battle," James said, and the two fell about laughing, besides, they were only eleven.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black," the teacher said from the front of the room, "kindly report to the head's office at once. I've had quite enough of your tom foolery!"

James and Cygnus clambered to their feet and trudged out of the classroom, followed by the eyes of the pupils in their class.

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_Cygnus's last name... dun dun dun!_

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	3. Chapter 2 : Letters in the Post

Chapter 2- Letters in the Post

James and Cygnus walked along the corridor, still in fits of giggles. This was no extraordinary feat for them, in fact it was quite a regular occurrence. First they would be sent to see Mr. Richards, the headmaster of Byfleet Primary school, then they would have a lecture on misbehaving in Mrs. Alexander's class, then Mr. Richards would call their parents. Not that James had any. Then, Mrs. Black, Cygnus' mother, would come in, complaining about wasting her valuable time, and the Dursleys, well, they wouldn't care so long as Dunstan wasn't in trouble.

Cygnus rapped on the wooden door of Mr. Richards' office, and the gruff voice said slowly, "Come in."

James and Cygnus filed in, gulping, as their headmaster was a most intimidating man. He was sitting behind his desk on a swivelling office chair, back facing them.

"Ah, Messrs. Black and Potter," he said, back still turned, "How nice to see you again. What is it this time? Chuck water balloons at the lunch ladies, hmm? Sign your homework _Dan Druff_ and _Dick Burns_ again, huh?"

"No sir," James said, "We were talking in class, and Cygnus fell off his chair."

As Mr. Richards swivelled around he looked thoroughly disappointed by the most mundane form of mischief making the boys presented him with. He was an unattractive, middle aged, balding man, with grey hair cut so short it was almost shaved, and a large wart on his forehead. He had a pointed nose and chin, accentuated by his receding hair. His wart seemed to pulse with his heart beat, making the boys unsure of weather to cower in fear or fall about laughing.

"First morning of the first day of term," Mr. Richards said proudly, "This, even for you boys, seems to be a new record. I'm afraid I am going to have to call your parents. Your constant disobedience is unacceptable."

James and Cygnus shared glances as their teacher headed over to the filing cabinet which contained their details. James would have thought that Mr. Richards would have their parents names on speed-dial by now, but apparently not. The two boys took a seat on the arm chairs by the door, next to Mr. Richard's potted fern.

"Hello," said Mr. Richards, phone to his ear, "Yes, is that Mrs. Black?" a muffled angry noise could be heard on the other end of the phone, James and Cygnus sniggered into their blazers, "yes, Cygnus and James have been misbehaving again….. Uh-huh….. Yes you can come down if you wish… Hello? Hello?"

Mrs. Black had rung off. Mr. Richards looked sternly at the boys as they nearly fell about laughing again, James had to feint a coughing fit to avoid being caught. Cygnus turned his back on the headmaster in order to 'pat James on the back'.

"Your parents are out, Mr. Potter," the teacher said angrily.

"My parents are dead sir," James retorted, "My aunt and uncle are out."

"Yes, well, what you said," Mr. Richards said uncomfortably, straightening the pens on his desk, "Okay, you are dismissed."

James and Cygnus walked from the office again, back down the corridor and towards the classroom. James supposed that Mrs. Black must have finally given up on coming into school, after all, she was a single working mother. Cygnus' father had died when he was very small, and Cygnus never met him. He had been 'lay about' and a 'good for nothing so-and-so', so Cygnus and Mrs. Black kept her name, Black, and left the name 'Stebbins' behind them. James always got the impression that Mrs. Black was foreign, because she found some things very tricky to do, like turning on the television. Mrs. Black was a formidable woman, so it was hard to try and correct her.

"'spose mum must have finally given up on coming down then?" Cygnus commented.

"Yeah, I guess so," James said absent-mindedly.

"Huh," Cygnus said, as the two friends walked into the classroom, yet again faced with hours of mind-numbing torture…

* * *

"Hey, boys," Mrs. Black said friendlily when she came to pick Cygnus up from school, "Misbehaving again, I see?"

"No!" James and Cygnus said in unison, but it was pointless arguing with Mrs. Black, it was as though she could read their minds.

"How have you been Mrs. Black?" James asked her as they walked to the car.

"I'm fine thank-you James, and for the last time call me Andi," she said happily, ruffling the boy's already messy hair. Mrs. Black was a kind-faced woman, with features much like Cygnus', she had the same floppy black hair and refined features, only she had grey eyes.

"Okay Andi," said James, as he got into the car. Mrs. Black took James and Cygnus to Starbucks on the way back to James' house. Dunstan had Tae-Kwon-Do after school and wouldn't need picking up for another hour, Aunt Carol refused to make two trips.

"James, can you come to Cygnus' birthday party this weekend?" Mrs. Black asked as they made their way back to the car from Starbucks, each with a caramel Frapaccino in hand.

"I guess so," James said, he had completely forgotten it was Cygnus' birthday on Wednesday. He needed to get him a present. Mrs. Black stopped outside No. 17 Leggit Way, and James unstrapped himself, and hopped out of the car.

"Stay in the car, Cygnus," Mrs. Black said, as she too got out, and walked up the gravel path to the Dursley's house. Cygnus scowled, but stayed in the car anyway, he did not like Carol Dursley. James knocked on the door, and almost immediately Aunt Carol answered it.

"Hello James," she said, smiling a little, "Andromeda," she nodded at Mrs. Black, "Thank-you for bringing him home."

"A pleasure as always," Mrs. Black said, walking back too her car. James stepped inside the house slowly, and watched his friends drive away.

"Any homework?" Aunt Carol asked him.

"No," James replied.

"Good, you can tidy your room then!"

James groaned as he kicked off his shoes and trudged up the stairs to his room, "Aww!"

"You should be thankful you _have_ a room to tidy!" Aunt Carol said spitefully, watching her nephew slam the door behind him.

* * *

James got to school early on Wednesday, hoping to surprise Cygnus as he arrived in school on his birthday. He had bought a huge balloon, a caked and a new football for his best friend, and he sat at his desk waiting for him to arrive. But he never did. It was weird, Cygnus not coming into school on his birthday, James hoped he wasn't ill. He would call him when he got home.

* * *

"Aunt Carol, is it alright if I use the phone?" James asked sweetly when he got home from school, it had been a very boring day, he had had to sit next to Dunstan.

"Of course James," Aunt Carol replied, she was in a surprisingly good mood. James picked up the receiver and dialled in Cygnus' number. It rang…

"Hello?" Mrs. Black picked up the phone, and James sighed, at least they weren't dead.

"Hello Andi," James said, "Is Cygnus there? Only I wanted to wish him a happy birthday."

"Oh, yes, of course…" Mrs. Black replied, pausing and sighing before saying, "Hold on a minute James, I'll just get him for you. CYGNUS!"

James could hear a distant 'WHAT!?' coming from the other end of the phone, followed by a thumping of feet and finally, "Hello?"

"Hi Cyggy!" James said excitedly, "Happy Birthday!"

"Yeah, thanks," Cygnus replied, his voice slightly distant.

"How come you weren't in school today?" James asked, suddenly worried about his friend.

"Oh, um, I…" Cygnus paused for a moment, "James I'm moving school."

"What?" James asked, thinking he mustn't have heard him right.

"I'm not going to Stonewall next year James," he said dejectedly, "I have to go away to school."

"What do you mean, 'Go away'?" James asked, feeling hurt that his best friend would desert him, "Like boarding school?"

"Yeah, like boarding school," Cygnus replied.

"Never knew you were that posh mate!" James said, trying to make light of the situation.

Cygnus chuckled sadly, "See you tomorrow James."

"Yeah, see you," James said quietly, and he rung off. James felt like punching a wall he was so angry. Cygnus was his best friend, and he was leaving James to go to Stonewall Comprehensive while he went off to some fancy boarding school. James felt betrayed, the Blacks had been like family to him for the last 7 years. He had been on holiday to France with them… and now Cygnus was leaving.

* * *

The next few weeks passed in a daze of ignoring Cygnus at school, of him apologising, of James and Cygnus not talking and of James replacing his best friend with his cousin Dunstan. They were not happy weeks for James, as he missed more than anything having a best friends to talk to, to laugh with and to pull pranks on teachers with. The only thing not suffering was James' reputation with teachers, who were thrilled at the two best friends' new found hatred. But things began to change on the morning of 27th March.

By the time James realised the date, spring was upon them, and the Easter holidays had started. James rarely counted the days until his birthday, as the Dursleys never got him very much, but it came as a great surprise to him when he got up one Saturday morning to see it was 3 days until his birthday. James dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. Dunstan wasn't usually up at this time on a Saturday, he usually slept in past 11, but for some reason today was different. Almost too different. The kitchen was sparklingly clean, as usual, and there was bacon frying in the pan, as usual. Uncle Dudley was sitting reading his newspaper with a mug of coffee, as usual, and Aunt Carol was arranging flowers in a vase, as usual. Dunstan was sitting in his usual seat, eating his usual breakfast, they only differences were that he was up, and that he had not yet eaten James' breakfast, which was, unusually, laid out for him on the table.

"Good morning James," Aunt Carol said brightly, "Your breakfasts on the table."

"Thanks Aunt Carol," James said, grinning as he took his place at the kitchen table.

"Morning James," Uncle Dudley said, he was looking slightly sick, and there was a great sense of foreboding on his face.

"Hi Uncle Dudley," James said, smiling at the entire family's bizarre cheeriness this morning. The sound of the post clattering through the letter box made Uncle Dudley jump, sending his paper flying into the air.

He regained his composure before coughing and saying, "Dunstan, get the post."

"Make James get it!" Dunstan whined, and Uncle Dudley looked thoroughly taken aback by his choice of words.

"James get the post," he repeated, looking at his nephew.

"Make Dunstan get it," James said, making Uncle Dudley raise his eyebrows so high, they looked as though they might fall off his face. James got up reluctantly and walked down the narrow hall to the front door. On the doormat were three envelopes. One from the gas company, addressed to Uncle Dudley, another to Dunstan from Uncle Dudley's Aunt Marge, who was on holiday in Ireland, and - _a letter for James_.

James picked up the post, staring at his letter. No one ever wanted to write to him, and anyone who did would phone instead. James' heart was pounding like a drum, the letter was heavy, and made of thick yellowish parchment, and the address was written in green ink:

_James Potter_

_The smallest bedroom_

_17 Leggit Way_

_Woking_

_Surrey_

James stared at it for a few more seconds, and noticed that there was no stamp. It must have been delivered by hand. Someone had come to the house to post this. He turned the letter over to open it, his hand shaking with fear and excitement, there was some kind of magical aura around the letter. On the back was a large greed wax seal bearing a coat of arms, a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter _H._

"Whats taking so long with the post?" Uncle Dudley called from the kitchen, "Someone sent us a stink bomb?"

James walked back into the kitchen, still clutching his letter. He handed the regular post to Uncle Dudley and sat down at the table, eyes fixed on the yellowish envelope. Uncle Dudley ripped open the gas bill, and grunted, throwing it away before returning to his newspaper. Dunstan opened the letter from Aunt Marge, and his piggy little face lit up with excitement as he pulled out a crisp £20 note.

"That was kind of Aunt Marge, wasn't it dear," Aunt Carol said to Dunstan, but he was too busy looking at James.

"Mummy, James has a letter!" he said excitedly, and Uncle Dudley and Aunt Carol's eyes met, their gazes locking worriedly as they eyed the yellowish parchment in James' hands. He was about to open his letter, when it was suddenly jerked from his hand by his Uncle.

"Hey!" James said irately, "Give that back!"

"Just checking for letter bombs," Uncle Dudley said quickly, "Dunstan, James, wait outside."

"But-" James started.

"Now!" Uncle Dudley roared, and Aunt Carol chaperoned the boys from the kitchen, closing the door firmly behind her. James and Dunstan had a battle of who would get the crack under the door to listen in. Dunstan's sheer mass beat James, who had to settle for the key hole.

"I want my letter," he whispered irately.

"I want _you_ to shut up," said Dunstan, "I'm trying to listen."

The two boys sat in silence, trying to hear the conversation going on inside.

"Dudley, look at this, they know where he sleeps!" Aunt Carol was saying in a quivering voice.

"They knew with his father too," Uncle Dudley said gruffly. His dad! The letter had something to do with his parents.

"What can we do, Dudley? What?" Aunt Carol said, James could hear her high heels pacing up and down the wooden kitchen floor.

"We have to let him have it, contact the school and ask them to explain everything to him," Uncle Dudley said calmly, "They'll find him eventually anyway, we may as well let it happen."

"But, I can't have one of _them_ in my house!" Aunt Carol said angrily.

"You've had one of_ them_ in your house for ten years Carol," Dudley said, "and it hasn't made a bit of difference."

* * *

_What do you think so far??? I need feedback, and or ideas for my storeee!!! x x x x x ly_

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	4. Chapter 3 : An Unfortunate Relative

Chapter 3- An Unfortunate Relative

"You've had one of them in your house for ten years Carol," Dudley said, "and it hasn't made a bit of difference."

"Enough!" Aunt Carol shouted, "You know as well as I do that the boys are listening at the door. So we should talk about this later _in private_."

"Fine," said Uncle Dudley, James could tell he was angry, as his footfalls were heavy as he stamped towards the door, which he pulled open violently.

"Can I have my letter?" James blurted out upon seeing his Uncle.

"No," said Uncle Dudley, before walking out of the front door, towards the garage. James could here the clattering of tools and things, his uncle enjoyed D.I.Y, and often did it when he was angry.

A moment later, Aunt Carol came bustling out of the kitchen, "So boys, how about we pay a visit to grandma and grandpa? We haven't seen them in a while!"

James groaned. Seeing Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia was about the last thing he wanted to do right now. He hadn't visited them in several years, as he usually stayed home when the Dursleys went to see them. They did not like James, and to be perfectly honest, this feeling was mutual. James knew that his dad had grown up at their house from snippets of conversations he had heard, and that they had not like him either.

James was dressed in his 'best' pair of jeans and polo shirt, his great-aunt and uncle disliked untidiness more than Dunstan disliked vegetables. They disliked James' hair, and last time James had visited, Uncle Vernon had ordered that he got a hair-cut, which he did. Aunt Carol cut it far too short, but the next day for school it was just as it had been. Infact, strange things like that often seemed to happen around him, like the time at Go Ape last month, or the time he made Mr. Richards' wart swell to the size of a beach ball. He and Cygnus often seemed able to wriggle out of awkward situations due to odd things, and tales of these things were frowned upon in the Dursley household.

The 'family' of four bustled into Aunt Carol's 4x4, and strapped in the seat belts. Dunstan demanded that they listened to Radio 1, which Uncle Dudley spent the journey complaining about, he seemed to dislike anything odd or modern, or old-fashioned, or… different. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia lived only 20 minutes drive away, and so the journey was relatively easy.

When they pulled up into Privet Drive, James could have sworn that there was an owl on the road sign, and when they stopped outside No. 4, he was sure there were two more barn owls on the chimney pot. Uncle Dudley knocked fiercely on the door, he was obviously still unhappy about James' letter. He couldn't help feeling that the visit to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's and the letter were connected.

Aunt Petunia came to the door within seconds, "Dudders!" she exclaimed, enveloping her son in a huge hug, "and Dunstan! Oh its so good to see you all! Hello Carol," she hugged her grandson and daughter-in-law, before here eyes fell on James, "Oh. You're here too are you?"

"Yes, mum," Dudley said slowly, "That's one of the reasons why Carol wanted to come down today."

His emphasis on Carol's name was not unnoticed by Aunt Petunia, who scowled at her son, "Why don't you all come in then?" she said, smiling falsely as the family trasped through the front door, "Vernon! Dudders is here!"

James heard a distant grunt from upstairs, followed by the sound of his Uncle Vernon galumphing down the stairs. His elephantine uncle arrived in the small hallway, making it almost impossible to move. James hung back so as to avoid Uncle Vernon's mean stare, he really didn't like James.

Aunt Petunia sat them down in the living room, which they had recently refurbished, and got them cups of tea, squash for Dunstan, water for James. Aunt Petunia was not subtle about her dislike of James, and seemed to relish in insulting him.

"So, James," she said happily, "Have you had a haircut recently."

"No, Aunt Petunia," James said, his voice sickeningly sweet, "Have you?"

"No, why?" his aunt sounded taken aback. James did not reply, but continued to stare pointedly at her grey-blonde bob, which she immediately reached to straighten.

"So, dad," Dudley said, quickly changing the subject, "Heard about that escaped prisoner? They say he's carrying a gun!"

"Load of old tosh if you ask me!" Uncle Vernon barked, "Remember the last time they said that! Turned out to be one of his lot!"

He stopped, realising his mistake, and looked at James, who was looking back at him. Their eyes met, each of them refusing to back down. Every adult in the room was staring at the larger of the two men.

"One of whose lot?" James asked politely.

"Never _you_ mind," growled Uncle Vernon. There was a deathly quiet in the living room which lasted several moments.

"Now, boys," Aunt Carol said brightly to James and Dunstan, "Would you like to go and play in the garden while us grown-ups have a chat?"

The boys both knew that this was less of an offer than a request, so they got up grudgingly, and walked out of the living room into the hallway, through the kitchen and into the Dursley's neatly groomed back garden. James had a burning desire to hear what they were talking about, he knew it was him. About his letter. About what he was. He knew he was something, something different from Dunstan and Uncle Dudley. That was when he had a brilliant plan.

"Hey, Dunners," James said, "Do you want to go and play football on the street at the front?"

"Okay," Dunstan said stupidly, picking up a football and heading for the side gate of the No. 4. James followed quietly, closing the gate behind him. He the proceeded to the blue hydrangea bush outside the Dursley's front window, which he crouched behind. He was small enough that he could hide without being seen, and he could hear what they were saying in the living room through a crack in the window.

"What are you doing James?" Dunstan shouted.

"Shh!" James hushed him, pointing at the window above him. Dunstan came over and crouched in the bush next to him. Both boys were listening intently.

"You can't let his go to that place!" Uncle Vernon was shouting, "I won't have another one in the family!"

"This is what Carol has been saying, dad," his Uncle Dudley was saying, "but he's one of them whether you like it or not. He has to go!"

"We all know that you had some kind of hero worship for Harry Potter," Uncle Vernon spat at his son, "But that doesn't mean that the boy will jump to save you from demons too!"

"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying, "He has to go. He needs to know. I understand that now, its not safe for him not to!"

"NO!" Aunt Carol was shouting, "I won't allow it! I won't allow one of them in the house!"

"He's been living with you for ten years already," Aunt Petunia pointed out.

"My point exactly, mum," Dudley said, gesturing towards some unknown place outside.

"Yes, but it was different then," Aunt Carol said irately, "He wasn't _learning_ the.. Stuff… then!"

"Just call it magic, Carol," Uncle Dudley said exasperatedly, "Because that's what it is!"

"I WILL NOT HAVE THAT WORD USED IN MY HOUSE!" Uncle Vernon roared so loudly that the windows shook. At this James couldn't contain himself any longer, he stood up straight, hitting his head on the open window, but this didn't discourage him. He got up again, so his head was visible through the window, "MAGIC? I'm going to learn magic?" he asked excitedly.

"Now look what you've gone and done!" Uncle Vernon shouted, "He knows! He effing knows! Now he'll _have_ to go!"

"Good," said Uncle Dudley, "that's how its supposed to be."

"How whats supposed to be?" James asked again, "Whats going on? Can I see my letter now?"

"NO YOU CANNOT!" Uncle Vernon said angrily, "I WILL HEAR NO MORE ABOUT THIS!"

"ITS NOT YOUR DECISION DAD!" Dudley shouted, James had not often seen him so angry, he was usually a level headed man, "I SWORE I WOULD DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY!"

"And you've done well, Dudders," Aunt Petunia crooned, "You've done whats best. Vernon, we have to let him see it. Come in James!"

She gestured for him to hop in through the window. James was dumbfounded. Had she had a personality transplant? Not only had she called him by his first name, but she had offered for him to do something unusual by coming into the house through the window. Not one to miss out on a good bit of conflict, James hopped in, landing himself in a war zone.

"So," he said, "Can I see my letter now?"

"I suppose it can't do any more harm," Aunt Carol said huffily, folding her arms as Dudley withdrew the yellowing envelope. He handed over to James, who eyed the green ink and wax seal again with an air of agitation. He almost couldn't contain his excitement at seeing it, his hands were shaking as he tore open the seal and pulled out the letter itself.

It was written on the same yellowish parchment as the envelope had been, and again, it was written in green ink,

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL_

_of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall_

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Fillius Flitwick,_

_Deputy Headmaster_

James stared at the letter, not truly processing what he had just read. He was a wizard? Had his parents been wizards? Were Uncle Dudley and Aunt Carol wizards? Could he do magic? Would he need a wand, a broomstick or a cauldron? Would he grow a wart like Mr. Richards' on his nose and wear a pointy hat? His head was so full of questions, he felt as though it might explode. But then realisation dawned. They had known. They had known all along, and never told me.

"You knew about this?" James shouted at them, making Uncle Dudley jump two feet in the air, "You knew and you never told me!"

"We wanted to tell you," Dudley started, but then glanced at Carol, who was scowling, "_I_ wanted to tell you, but you were too young! We wanted you to have a normal childhood!"

"I couldn't have had a normal childhood _and_ known I was a wizard?" James shouted.

"NO! YOU MUST NOT SAY THAT WORD IN MY HOUSE!" Uncle Vernon shrieked, his face so purple he looked as though it might explode.

"I can tell when we're not welcome, dad," Dudley said, "Come on Carol, get Dunstan and meet us at the car."

He grabbed James' arm and jerked him in the direction of the door. Aunt Petunia made a movement of protest, but gave up, she knew there was no point in trying to change Dudley's mind once it had been made up. Aunt Carol scowled, and followed Dudley out of the house, though it was clear where her loyalties lay.

* * *

James didn't talk to the Dursleys for the rest of the evening, and to be honest, he had no idea what any of this meant. What was a wizard? He knew that they could do magic, obviously, and that they went to Hogwarts, but where were all the wizards? Were they in hiding? Or did they have their own countries where they lived? He knew his mum and dad were wizards. He knew the Dursleys were not. There was a knock at the door, and without saying a word, Uncle Dudley came into James' room and sat on the end of the bed.

"How are you James?" he asked, his voice genuinely worried. It came as a surprise, James had never heard his uncle so concerned about anything about from the football.

"I'm okay," James lied, but Dudley gave him a questioning look, "Alright, I'm so confused."

"Wanna ask me anything?" he asked kindly, another bomb-shell to James. Questions were forbidden in the Dursley household, "I know more than you might think."

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" James asked. There were so many other questions burning in his head, but this one stuck out like a sore thumb.

"We… we…" his uncle was struggling, "We weren't allowed to."

This came as one further shock to James. It was the last answer he expected, he had thought it might have been out of spite or jealousy, but never that they were _forbidden._

"Who wouldn't allow you?" James asked.

"That McGonagall woman," he replied quickly.

"THE HEADMISTRESS?" James asked, talking far louder than he had meant to.

"Yes, I suppose," said Uncle Dudley.

"But why?" asked James, "Why wasn't I allowed to know about my family?"

At the word family, Dudley flinched, and James sensed that there was something else he wasn't telling him. There was something bigger than all of this.

"Is there something I need to know about my family?" James asked quickly.

"Your parents didn't die in a car crash!" Uncle Dudley blurted out, immediately clapping his hand to his mouth, "No… I've said too much! I need someone to explain this better… I'll call her!"

"Why can't people just tell me the truth!?" James shouted after his uncle, who was already half way out of the room. He was on the verge of tears. He had been lied to his entire life, everything he knew was a lie. His life was about to change, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

* * *

_what do ya reckon? good, bad, or somewhere in between?_

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	5. Chapter 4 : A House Of Black

Chapter 4-

James was sitting in his room for over an hour before anyone came to see him. He lay, watching the clock tick by. Seconds, minutes, an hour… it was so fast, yet so slow at the same time. James wondered whether or not wizards used clocks. He suspected that they did. He sighed, rolling onto his front. His birthday was two days away… two days until he was eleven. James jumped. There was a knocking at the door, he turned around, to see the door opening, and an elderly woman come into his bedroom.

"Good evening James," she said pleasantly, walking in without being invited.

"Uh.. Hello?" James said.

"My name," said the old witch, "is Professor M. McGonagall, I am headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"You're the one!" James exclaimed, pointing his finger as Professor McGonagall's pointed nose, "You're the one who wouldn't let them tell me!"

"I was warned of this," she said exasperatedly, sitting herself down on his bed, "James, I take full responsibility for you being here, with no knowledge of your heritage."

"Where else would I live?" James asked angrily, "I've got no other family have I!?"

McGonagall gulped, before nodding her head in agreement, "You see James, the death of your parents was not a accident-"

"What? Are you saying someone killed them on purpose?"

"That is precisely what I am saying," she replied sharply.

"Who-"

"There was once a man named Lord Voldemort," Professor McGonagall began, "and he was a bad wizard."

"I'm not eight, you know," James said, annoyed with the woman.

McGonagall looked sternly at him, before continuing, "He tried to kill your father when he was a baby, but he couldn't, and so Harry's parents died, and he had to live with your great aunt and uncle. He was miserable as a child-"

"So you thought you'd make me miserable too?" James interrupted.

"I'm getting to that," McGonagall said sternly, "your father was miserable as a child, and as a result did not find out he was a wizard until the age of 11, as you have done now. Anyway, when Harry arrived at Hogwarts he soon realised his fame. You see, vanquishing Lord Voldemort is not something somebody does everyday, every child of the generation knew his name!"

"Why?" James asked, "Why was he famous!?"

"I do not think you understand the scale of Voldemort's destruction, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said angrily, "as I was saying, he soon befriended two other wizards in his year, and over their school years they got into all kinds of scrapes. In your father's fourth year, Voldemort returned-"

"But you said my dad killed him!" James said angrily, "You lied! Everyone lies!"

"No, I didn't lie, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said angrily, "If you let me finish my story… and when Voldemort returned, he gained power. When your father was seventeen, he killed Voldemort for good. Most of his followers were killed or captured. Some, however, were not, and this James, is when you come into the story. An unidentified follower of Voldemort sought to complete, shall we say, his vision. She created her own title, which many still fear to speak, afraid she might return as her master did before her-"

"What was she called?" James asked, fully aware that he was being annoying.

"Her name, was Lady Triste," continued McGonagall, quite unfazed by saying this most feared name. perhaps she had lost her patience with James, "She began by going to your parent's house, and aimed to kill the entire family, as her master had done before her, with your grandparents. She killed you parents, but when she went to kill you, she could not."

"Why not? I was just a baby?" James asked.

"Your father died to save you James, giving you an unbeatable 'love' protection, which runs through your blood," said the elderly professor, "and wherever your father's blood runs, you are safe."

"So is that why I have to live with the Dursleys?" James asked, "So I can be safe?"

"Precisely," McGonagall sighed, getting up to leave, "I trust that you _will_ be attending Hogwarts next year, James?"

"Of course Professor," James said, smiling in spite of himself, "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, and as she walked through the threshold, she disappeared.

* * *

James had taken such a huge amount of information in in such a small amount of time, he didn't quite know what to do with himself. He sat on the end of his bed, thinking. He was a wizard. His parents had been murdered. There was an evil witch and an evil wizard who had wanted to kill his family. He was a WIZARD! He didn't know what this meant, after all, McGonagall had only explained his past, not what he was going to do with his future.

James trudged downstairs, hoping to catch the news, it was odd that he liked watching it, Uncle Dudley said when he was James' age he didn't know who the prime minister was. But James was an intelligent boy, he had always got good marks at school, and he liked to know what was going on in the world.

"And our top story tonight," the news caster was saying as James walked into the living room, and lounged on the sofa, "A high security prisoner has escaped. A man convicted of murder has managed to break free from the tightest security prison in the country, Hugh Davis has the story."

The screen switched to a man who was standing outside Big-Ben, in the dark, holding an umbrella, next to him was a photograph of a tall, red-haired and freckled man. He was staring wildly at the camera, looking almost sad, his freckled face pale and languid.

"Thank-you, Fiona," said Hugh, "Yes, news today came that a high security prisoner, Ronald Weasley has escaped. Weasley was convicted 10 years ago for murder of a family of three, whose names have not been disclosed, and the attempted murder of another man. He is warned to be armed, and highly dangerous. Back to you in the studio."

"Thank-you, Hugh," Fiona said, "And…"

Dudley flicked the news off, and James turned to look at him, "Is that the one Uncle Vernon was talking about?" he asked, "One of _my lot_?"

"Heh-hem…" said Uncle Vernon, "Well-"

But he was cut off by the phone ringing, Aunt Carol rushed to pick it up.

"James!" a call came from the hallway, "a friend is on the phone for you."

James jumped up. Who could it be? The only person who ever called him was Cygnus, and they hadn't spoken in weeks. Maybe something was different. James certainly knew _he_ was different. James bounded to the corridor like a horse, galloping to the phone. He missed talking to his friend.

"Alright mate?" he said happily down the phone.

"JAMIE!!!" Cygnus' excited voice came down the other end of the phone.

"Calm down mate," James chuckled, "Why'd you call?"

"Wanted to chat," Cygnus said awkwardly, "and I wanted to apologise for not going to school with you next year."

"Its fine, Cyg," James said, and really it was, he had completely forgotten that that was why they weren't talking, "Turns out I'm not going to Stonewall either."

"WHAT?" Cygnus asked.

"Yeh, I got a place at this special school somewhere," James said, trying not to give too much away, "I'm going to board there."

"Wow," Cygnus said, "We'll still see each other in holidays though, yeah?"

"Course mate," James said, "Bff's bro! I'll see you tomorrow!"

* * *

"Bye James," said Cygnus, but the phone had gone dead. He sighed as he hung the receiver back up on the wall. Was it possible that James was like him? He would have to ask his mum.

"MUM!" Cygnus roared up the stairs.

"What do you want, Cygnus?" his mum called, "I'm cleaning the owl cage out!"

Cygnus sighed, and headed upstairs. His mum would be in a better mood if he helped her with the cleaning. He tramped up the stairs of the large, detached house, and turned left into his bedroom. His mother was kneeling on the floor, rubber gloves on, newspaper in hand.

"Give me a hand and pass me the spell-o-tape, would you?" she asked, pointing to the desk in the corner of the bright orange room. Cygnus picked up a roll of sparkling tape, and handed it to his mum.

"I just called James," Cygnus said.

"That's nice, dear," his mother said kindly, "it's good to hear you got over that fight."

"Yeah, turns out he's not going to Stonewall either," Cygnus said, "He's going to some other boarding school."

"Really?" his mother said, dropping her newspaper as she did so, "Where?"

"He didn't say," Cygnus said, "but I know the Dursleys would _never_ pay for him to go to an expensive school."

"Hmm," his mother said pensively, standing up and snapping off her rubber gloves, "Don't you think it a bit odd, that a few days before his birthday, James finds out he's going to a 'special boarding school'?"

"You don't think-" Cygnus said excitedly.

"No I don't," said Mrs. Black curtly, "I told you before when you said about being friends with James Potter, they all died, Cygnus!"

"But what if-"

"No buts, young man," she said sternly, "I told you the story of the Potters as a treat, and I don't want you to go and spoil that-"

"But he has a scar mum!"

"And curse scars are not hereditary, Cygnus," Mrs. Black said angrily, "you seem to be confusing your friend with a dead man, or his dead son. No matter how many similarities there may be, James Potter is not a wizard! End of!"

"But mum-"

"No buts! You have school tomorrow," she said, "and if you're not dressed for bed in three minutes flat, I'll curse you into oblivion."

"I'm going, I'm going!" Cygnus said angrily, grumbling as he went into the bathroom. Sometimes he wished he didn't have to lie to his best friend. He wished he had been a Squib. He hated magic. It had led his father to his death, and so many others to theirs. Like his grandfather. No one still alive knew his real name, he had married James' grandmother just a few years before he died. He went missing the day after his mum's third birthday, he was young, apparently, barely out of his teens. Andromeda Lily Black, born 31st October, 1978.

From fear of his mother's wrath, Cygnus got to bed early. He didn't get to sleep though. His mind was too full of possibilities. James could be a wizard! It was so likely, what if James Sirius Potter never died? What if he just went missing? Cygnus supposed his theory was as likely as his dad coming back from the dead. Very unlikely in other words. He sighed, glancing up at his blue Tutshill Tornadoes poster. He had known of magic all his life, but he had never really _known_ magic until his last birthday. He had never known what magic could do to your life, for better, or for worse.

* * *

Cygnus woke early on Monday morning, eager to get into school and see James. He _would_ find out whether or not he was a wizard, even if his mum had forbidden it. He arrived in the classroom at 8 o'clock, far earlier than he had ever been in before. Cygnus Black was known for his insufferable lateness.

"Morning Mrs. Alexander," he said cheerfully, "May I say that your hair is looking particularly blue today."

"Mr. Black," said Mrs. Alexander sternly, adjusting her blue wig, "Your mouth is far too big for a child your age."

"Mrs. Alexander," replied Cygnus, "You have far too little hair for a woman your age."

"Mr. Black!" Mrs. Alexander shouted.

"I'm sorry Miss," Cygnus said, "But I'm only eleven, I don't know any better."

He shrugged and took a seat at the back of the class on the two-man desk, perfect for him and James to talk.

James didn't arrive until the bell rang at 8.30, which disappointed Cygnus. James was usually early for school, as his aunt made him get in on time. When he finally did arrive, James immediately headed for the back of the classroom, and took a seat next to Cygnus. He immediately fell off his chair. James may have been agile, but he was certainly just as clumsy.

"Mr. Potter," said Mrs. Alexander, "I am glad to see that you and Mr. Black have rekindled your love affair, but please try not to disrupt the class."

Other members of the class started to snigger, but James, ever the showman, decided to play his role to the full, "Oh, Cygnus, oh Cygnus, my love!""What is it, Jamie-Poo?" Cygnus cried dramatically.

"I know this is going to sound sudden, but Cygnus Sirius Black, will you marry me?" James said, fake-sobbing into his sleeve.

"Yes, James, yes!" said Cygnus, "A hundred times yes! Oh, you've made me the happiest woman alive!"

"ENOUGH!" roared Mrs. Alexander, and the two boys settled into their seats, "Now, if you've had time to compose yourself, _Miss._ Black, turn to page 237."

* * *

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	6. Chapter 5 : Theodore Lupin

Chapter 5- Theodore Lupin

It was summer. Infact, it was the height of summer, the hottest there had been since 1995, according to Aunt Carol. Uncle Dudley didn't talk fondly of that year. James was sitting in his bedroom with a football magazine, Chelsea had won the Premiership again. They were James' favourite team, but he had never seen them play. Uncle Dudley had taken Dunstan to the final last week, James was so jealous. He had spent most of his summer at Cygnus' house, where he had rarely seen Mrs. Black. Apparently she was 'cleaning out the house', James couldn't understand why, their house was always clean.

It was swelteringly hot outside, and the smell of freshly cut grass was wafting in through James' bedroom window. The neighbours at No. 15 were cutting the grass. The soft rumble of the lawnmower was the essence of August to James, and the sweet smell that accompanied it was soothing to him. You see, today was the day that James would have a first insight into the wizarding world. He was going to collect his school supplies.

He hadn't realised he needed school supplies until about one month ago, as he hadn't previously noticed the attached letter. He had gone to look at his acceptance letter again, and another piece of parchment had fallen out onto the floor:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL_

_of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_UNIFORM_

_First-year students will require:_

_1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

_2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

_3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

_4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags_

_COURSE BOOKS_

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

_The Standard Book of Spells (Updated) (Grade 1)_

_by Padma Patil_

_The History of Wizards by Hermione Granger_

_Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

_A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_

_A Student's Guide to Plants and Such_

_by Neville Longbottom_

_Magical Drafts and Potions (Volume II) by Arsenius Jigger_

_Even More Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

_by Rolf and Luna Scamander _

_What to Do if You See You-Know-Who_

_By Harry Potter_

_OTHER EQUIPMENT_

_1 wand_

_1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

_1 set glass or crystal phials_

_1 telescope_

_1 set brass scales_

_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad, NO RATS_

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS_

_ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS_

James had been terribly excited when he first read the book list, as the last book had been written by his dad. Actually, it was the first time he had heard his dad's name mentioned other than by Professor McGonagall, who had spoken only briefly of him. It crushed James that he would never meet his father, or his mother, and his only connection to them was through a few words on a page.

"James!" his Aunt called from downstairs, "There's someone here to see you!"

James hopped up at lightening speed, and raced down the stairs. He tripped on the last step, and landed in the arms of a turquoise haired young man. He had a kind, hear shaped face and brilliant green eyes. He was quite tall, but could barely have been out of school, as he looked about 18.

"Whoa, there young man," he said, standing James upright, "Lets not get too excited now!"

"This young man will be your escort to… wherever you're going," said Aunt Carol, "James this is… sorry I didn't catch your name?"

"Teddy Lupin," replied the young man, "at your service. You must be James Potter! I must say, I never thought I'd ever be meeting you!"

"Why not?" James asked.

"Because…" Teddy paused for a moment, and mentally shook himself, "Your father was famous… I've been informed to disguise you so you won't be recognised."

"Okay, Mr. Lupin," said James.

"Don't call me, Mr. Lupin," said Teddy, he sounded almost offended, "I'm only 18 for Merlin's sake! Mr. Lupin was my dad."

"Oh," James said, "Is your dad not a nice man?"

"He was," Teddy replied, "He died when I was a baby."

"Like mine then," James replied bitterly.

"Yeah," said Teddy, he looked very sad as he said it, "Just like yours."

"Off you go then James," Aunt Carol said, "Don't be back to late."

She gave the two of them a very hostile push out the front door, before slamming it in their faces.

"She's a lovely woman," Teddy said sarcastically.

"Yeah, she's a right barrel of laughs," said James, he decided he like Teddy, "Where do you buy wizard things Teddy?"

"Diagon Alley, my friend," said Teddy, "Diagon Alley."

"Where?"

"Its in London, but muggles can't see it," replied Teddy, "Muggles are-"

"Non-magic people, yeah, I know," said James, "I do live with some!"

"Yeah, and they seem like the biggest lot of muggles I've ever seen," said Teddy, laughing, as he did so, his hair changed colour to a warm burnt chestnut colour.

"Whoa, your hair!" James said, pointing at it. How had that just happened?

"Oh, yeah," said Teddy, "I can change my appearance at will. Look."

He screwed his face into a tiny ball, and in one seamless motion it changed into one very like James', only without the scar. Teddy still had bright green eyes, however. He screwed his face up again, and it returned to his normal heart-shape, his hair returned to being that lovely turquoise-blue.

"Wow," James said, in awe, "You could be like, my dad!"

Teddy looked slightly sad, "Yeah, I spose I could. We need to change your appearance too, my friend."

"Okay," James said, and preceded to screw his face into a tiny ball, attempting to change his appearance as he had seen Teddy do.

"No, James," said Teddy, "That won't help, here."

He took out a long thin brown stick, and looked as though he might poke James in the eye.

"Oi!" James said indignantly, "There's no need to poke my eye out!"

"That's not quite what I was going for, James," said Teddy, who was waving his stick around in complicated patterns, "There!"

"What have you done?" James asked.

"Would you like to see?" Teddy asked him, pulling a small mirror from the pocket of his jeans, "Here you go!"

James looked into the mirror. His face was unrecognisable, his nose was shorter, his eyebrows different shape, his thin face was wider, his hair was bright blonde. But his eyes remained brown, his scar remained smack bang in the middle of is forehead.

"How did you do that?"

"Magic," said Teddy, wiggling his stick in his fingers, "_This_, Jamie boy, is a wand!"

"Cool," said James, "I'm so getting one of those!"

"You have to, idiot," said Teddy, "Its on your list!"

"Watch who you're calling idiot, I'm not the one with blue hair!"

"A sharp tongue too I see," said Teddy, and James stuck his tongue out at him, "Yes, definitely a sharp tongue."

"How are we getting to London?" James asked politely, which was a very difficult feat for someone of his calibre.

"Apparition of course!" Teddy exclaimed, "I just passed my test!"

James looked at him as though he had just declared they would be flying on giant banana horses with rainbows for tails. He had never heard of apparition.

"Whats apparition?"

"You really are new to this wizard thing aren't you?" Teddy asked, and James nodded solemnly, he didn't like not understanding things, "it's the main form of wizard transport. You spin on the spot and imagine where you want to go, and you'll appear there. Don't get any ideas though," he added, noticing James' excited expression, "you have to be seventeen to get an apparition licence. The ministry think that younger kids could splinch, that's leaving part of yourself behind. Gruesome thought?"

"Yeah…" said James, "You said there was a Ministry of Magic? Is that like the government?"

"Merlin James," Teddy exclaimed, "Enough questions, we have a tight schedule to meet!"

"But-"

"Grab hold of my arm," said Teddy, and James did so. Within a split second the small cul-de-sac of Leggit Way disappeared before their very eyes, and instead James was engulfed in darkness, but still very firmly attached to Teddy. Whatever was happening, James did not find it a pleasant sensation, rather like being squashed through a very small rubber tube. He felt uncomfortable and sick, all the air was being squeezed from his lungs, his eardrums were pounding into his skull. Suddenly, the two boys were engulfed in light once more. They had appeared on Charing Cross Road, in London.

"What just happened?" James asked, staring wide-eyed at the crowded street, which they were now standing in the middle of. He was gulping in the thick air of the city as though he would never breath again.

"Apparated," stated Teddy slightly breathlessly, "Hope it wasn't too uncomfortable, I'm quite new to it, see."

"We just appeared on Charing Cross Road!" James said, still astonished.

"Yeah, cool no?" said Teddy, raising his turquoise eyebrows, "Come on, James. Things to do, people to see."

"Where are all the wizards?" James asked, struggling to keep up with Teddy's long stride as he marched across the busy road.

"Shh," said Teddy, "Not so loud, we're still in _muggle_ London!"

"So where are the you-know-whats?" asked James.

"In here!" said Teddy, pointing to a dingy old pub, which was painted black. Above it swung a sign reading _The Leaky Cauldron_. It was odd, as the busy people bustling by in swarms seemed to take no notice whatsoever of the interesting old tavern. It looked to out of place on a road otherwise full of large chain shops, and fancy hotels.

"Can they not see it?" James asked Teddy, glancing at the people walking past.

"The muggles?" whispered Teddy, "Nope, not a clue! Come on!"

He pushed open the heavy black door to The Leaky Cauldron, and a smell of warm fires and alcohol flooded James' nostrils, not an altogether pleasant smell on a warm summer's day. Inside the pub was just as dark and oppressive as outside. The walls were painted a dark maroon colour, and there were groups of men and women in long cloaks and pointed hats gathered around small tables, gambling and drinking. James wasn't sure what to make of this place.

"Teddy!" a blonde woman behind the bar exclaimed as they entered the dark pub, "How are you today? Here for school?"

"Yeah, thanks Mrs. Longbottom, I'm okay," Teddy said flustered, "And how are you?"

"I'm okay," said Mrs. Longbottom, "Neville has been acting strangely ever since Weasley escaped from Azkaban, but I suppose, who hasn't? Its like Sirius Black all over again!"

Black? Sirius Black? James thought frantically, those were Cygnus' last two names! He was Cygnus Sirius Black. It had always been a joke for the two of them that they shared such an unusual middle name, they had assumed Sirius had been a celebrity. But an escaped prisoner? James wasn't sure how much he liked that idea.

"Well, he turned out to be innocent, didn't he?" said Teddy, "I've always thought Ron Weasley was innocent myself."

"Well, Teddy," said Mrs. Longbottom sternly, "Ron Weasley didn't try to kill _your_ husband, did he?"

Teddy blushed, and said hurriedly, "Nice to see you, Mrs. Longbottom. Must be off, James and I have things to do!"

He tugged James' arm hard, and the two set off towards the back of the pub. But James' couldn't keep his eyes off Mrs. Longbottom. She had told him more information than he could take in without even knowing it. He was named after an innocent-escaped prisoner. There was another one on the loose, who had tried to kill Neville Longbottom, Mrs. Longbottom's wife.

"What was that about?" James asked.

"I've never got on well with Hannah Longbottom," said Teddy sourly, "Her husband, Neville teaches at Hogwarts. He's Herbology professor. Anyway, the escaped Prisoner, Ron Weasley, tried to kill him after… never mind, I'm sure they'll tell you at school."

"But then why-" began James.

"DON'T ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IT," Teddy hissed angrily, as they walked out of the smoky pub, and into a deserted alley way behind it. Surrounding them were several dustbins, and in front of them was a huge brick wall, towering above them. Teddy withdrew his wand, and tapped one of the brick on the wall in some funny pattern, and an amazing thing happened.

The wall seemed to melt away before them, the bricks sliding seamlessly into one another. James could feel his mouth open wide as an enormous street materialized before him.

"Welcome, James," said Teddy theatrically, "To Diagon Alley!"

James couldn't believe his eyes. The street was far more than the dingy alleyway he had been expecting, it was fabulous. His eyes were darting around, trying to catch sight of every single shop, person or animal before he missed it. As far as he could see there were shops, each selling things James had never heard of before, a pile of cauldrons stood outside the nearest shop, _Cauldrons, all shapes and sizes, pewter, copper, brass, self-stirring, self-heating_, read a sign above it.

"We'll get one of those after Gringotts," said Teddy.

James was about to ask what Gringotts was, but was so busy trying to take in the alley, he couldn't find his words. Eyelops Owl Emporium, Tawny owls, Barn owls, Screech owls, ANY OWLS!, read one shop with several children gathered around the window. Quality Quidditch Supplies, read another, with a hansom display of broomsticks in the window. James had a mind to go and stare through the window as so many others were, adults and children alike. There was something so -magical- about the idea of flying on a broom.

There were so many buildings to take in, James almost didn't notice when Teddy stopped walked. James walked into a kind faced woman with bushy brown hair, who was pulling a small red-haired girl along behind her.

"Terribly sorry," said the woman, "Come on Rosie."

She pulled the little girl off again, as James said a quiet apology, which she would never be able to hear.

"What was that?" asked Teddy distantly.

"Just walked into someone," said James.

"You'll have plenty of time to do that later!" joked Teddy, "We need to get you some money!"

"But I haven't got any money," said James, "Aunt Carol only gives me £1.20 a week!"

"That's why we've come here, my friend," said Teddy, "Gringotts is the wizard bank!"

James hadn't previously noticed the building in front of which they had stopped. It was a great, white marble building which towered above the others. Standing beside the heavy-looking brass doors was a small man. A _tiny _man-

"That's a goblin," whispered Teddy to James, "They run Gringotts."

The goblin was carrying an orb, and had greedy little face. He was at least a head shorter than James. He bowed quickly as they walked past, holding the orb up to the two of them.

"They're clean!" he exclaimed as Teddy and James entered the vast marble atrium of Gringotts bank. James noticed an inscription above the doors as they entered the foyer, it read:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

"You'd be mad to try and rob this place now," said Teddy, "You're dad and his friends managed it in their time though!"

"My dad robbed this bank?" James whispered to Teddy.

"Yeah, they escaped on a Dragon!" replied Teddy, "Like I said, mad!"

"Wow!" gasped James, imagining in his head a gigantic red dragon breathing fire onto the marble roof of the atrium, his father and his friends sat astride it. It was an amazing thought. They approached a high desk with another of the tiny goblins sat behind it. This one wore glasses and had a long feather quill in one hand.

"Good day," said the goblin slyly, "Which vault are you wishing to access?"

"The Potter vault, please," said Teddy, "I have the key."

"And you are not the son of Harry Potter," said the goblin, as Teddy withdrew a tiny bronze key from his jeans pocket, "Who may you be?"

"Theodore Remus Lupin," said Teddy, "I was left the vault key in Harry Potter's will."

The little goblin looked at the book on his desk, and appeared to be reading the tiny writing, which was too small for the eyes of any human, "Well," he said, clasping his talon-like fingers together, "This seems to be in order. Griphook! Griphook had taken care of the Potters' affairs for a number of years."

Another little goblin appeared, this one was very old and had a little white beard. He surveyed James pensively, eyeing his newly-blonde hair and wider face. He seemed to see behind his disguise, which worried James slightly, he didn't want to been recognised as the famous son of famous Harry Potter. Harry Potter who was dead, and who hadn't left anything to his son. He had left it to Teddy!

"Teddy!" exclaimed James, "I didn't know you were my-… I mean, Harry Potter's godson!"

Teddy blushed slightly and chuckled nervously, "I'll tell you about it some other time kiddo, okay."

The goblin, Griphook, however seemed to have noticed James' minor slip up, and kept a close eye on him as the headed to the back of the atrium. They into a tiny wooden cart, barely big enough for James, Teddy and Griphook together and the goblin was still eyeing James oddly even as it rattled away down the rickety steel tracks.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 6 : Diagon Alley

Chapter 6- Diagon Alley

It was safe to say that James aimed never to visit Gringotts bank again. The goblins, he thought, were incredibly rude, not to mention suspicious. The journey into the deep heart of the wizarding bank had been enormously disconcerting, as the cart had bobbed along like an apple on the rickety old track. One thing James had discovered, however, was that his parents had been rich. Richer beyond his wildest dreams, they were so rich, infact, that Teddy _had_ to take some gold out as the vault had been over flowing with gold coins, which were certainly _not_ pounds. James reminded himself to ask Teddy what money wizards used.

"Where to first?" Teddy asked James when the two boys returned to the bustling street that was Diagon Alley, how everyone never got lost James didn't know.

James checked his supply list which until now had stayed firmly in his back pocket, "The book shop," he said firmly, "there are so many books I need!"

"Flourish and Blotts it is then," said Teddy, "Unless you're sure you don't want to get your _wand_ first?"

James did rather like the idea of getting his wand, but the thought was too much for him right now, the bookshop seemed the safer option. On the other hand, he didn't want to reveal his fears to Teddy-

"I'll stick with the books," said James, "Keep the wand to look forward to."

"You're the boss," said Teddy, "Try to keep up this time please!"

He set off into the mass of wizard shoppers, and James followed quickly so as to keep up with the taller boy. They passed more of the amazing shops, including a bright orange one named _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_, James wondered if this shop had anything to do the murderer Weasley. It wasn't that much of a common name. Teddy had obviously caught James staring at the joke shop.

"We won't go in there today," said Teddy hastily, as though there was something to fear from entering the orange shop, "far too much to do."

James sighed disappointedly, but followed Teddy into the boring bookshop nonetheless. He could always sneak away later.

"Teddy Lupin!" boomed a friendly voice from behind the counter, "Good to see you again!"

"Hello, Mr. Macmillan," said Teddy, gripping the bookshop owner's hand firmly, "Good to see you too!"

"Not here for your own books, I see," said Mr. Macmillan, eyeing James.

"No, James here's going into his first year in September, and as Head Boy McGonagall gave me the duty of looking after him," replied Teddy.

"Good to see you're helping out," said Mr. Macmillan happily, "The usual, I presume. For first years?"

"Yeah, I think so," said James, feeling that the man was now addressing him.

"Excellent!" barked Mr. Macmillan, "I'll be back before you can say Hungry Hippogriffs!"

Teddy laughed, and James looked quizzically at him. He had no idea what a Hippogriff was, he made a mental note to ask someone later. Mr. Macmillan arrived more quickly than he should have done, laden with a pile of books which looked, in James' opinion, far too heavy for one man to carry.

"Here we are," said the shopkeeper brightly, "Lets see, _The Standard Book of Spells Grade 1_, _The History of Wizards_, I went to school with Hermione Granger," he added to no on in particular, "a brilliant witch if ever I saw one, shame about… well… _Magical Theory_" he continued to list books,"_A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration, A Student's Guide to Plants and Such, Magical Drafts and Potions (Volume II) ,Even More Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ and finally, _What to Do if You See You-Know-Who_, by Harry Potter. That man was simply remarkable! Of course, you knew him Teddy."

"Yeah, I did," said Teddy, looking at James, who was a deep shade of red. His heart was pounding at the mention of his father's name. it gave him a thrill to hear it out loud, it made his parents seem so- so _real_!

"Such a shame…" said Mr. Macmillan, "Anyway, that'll be 12 galleons, please."

"12 galleons?" said Teddy, sounding outraged, "Oh, alright! James, hand over your money!"

"Which are galleons?" James asked, feeling very stupid.

"The big gold ones," explained Teddy, taking the money bag from James, and handing the money to Mr. Macmillan, "Bye, Mr. Macmillan."

They left the shop with the pile of books, which Teddy put into his rucksack. It was far too small to fit anything into, James though, but Teddy seemed to think nothing of it.

After Flourish and Blotts, Teddy to James to buy a cauldron. James had wanted to buy a solid gold one, but Teddy discouraged him, saying he should save up and buy a broomstick next year instead. James preferred this idea to his own. They then went and bought a set of scales, a telescope and the set of phials on his list, as well as an ice-cream from a quaint shop next door to Madam Malkin's, which was the robe shop. Teddy left him to get his robes on his own, saying, 'I'll meet you in half an hour at Ollivander's', and James went into the little shop. There was only one other person in there, and he was a small red-headed boy, who James recognised from somewhere.

"'lo," said the little boy, nodding at James as he took the stool next to him, "Going to Hogwarts too?"

"Yeah," said James, "I'm a bit new to all this."

"Oh I'm not," said the boy, smiling warmly, "My whole family are wizards, apart from my aunt, but she's lovely!"

"My parents were wizards," said James, "But they died when I was little."

"I'm so sorry," said the boy, "Some of my family died too. My aunt, uncle and cousin were killed. I never met them… well I did, but I can't remember them at all!"

"Huh," said James, not knowing what to say next.

"Play Quidditch?" asked the boy.

"Not really," replied James, "I don't know what it is actually…"

"DON'T KNOW QUIDDITCH!?" asked the boy, "You're mad! Its only the best sport in the world!"

"I'll have to look it up," said James, smiling.

"What house are you going to be in?" the boy asked again, he had so many questions! "I think I'm going to be in Gryffindor, my whole family have been there. I wouldn't mind Ravenclaw… but I'd kill myself if I was in Slytherin, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah…" said James. Truthfully he had no idea what Ravenclaw or Slytherin were, but it was easier not to make a fuss.

"You're done dear," said Madam Malkin to the boy, who hopped down from the stool.

"See you at Hogwarts!" he said excitedly.

"Yeah, see you," said James, as he watched the boy's red hair disappear into a sea of people. It was only when he left the shop that James realised it was the boy he had waved to in the car. It was amazing who turned out to be wizards-

"And don't even think about trying to buy a broom young man!" James could hear a woman shouting, "I know what you're like Cygnus Black!"

Cygnus Black? James' head turned around so fast he nearly knocked over a woman standing next to him on the street.

"Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry," said James hurriedly, but he wasn't really sorry at all, he was too busy looking out for who could be his best friend. His eyes darted around the crowded street, but he couldn't see anyone who even remotely resembled his best friend. James sighed, assuming he must have imagined it, and headed towards the shop entitled _Ollivander's: Makers of fine wands since 382 b.c_. He entered the shop, and as he did, a little bell tinkled overhead. It was entirely deserted inside.

"Ah, James Potter," said a disembodied voice from somewhere at the back of the shop, "I never thought I'd be seeing you!"

"What do you mean?" James asked the voice, and suddenly a frail old man came into view, not 10 metres from where James was standing.

"No matter…" said the man, "I'm Mr. Ollivander. This is my shop."

James didn't quite know what to make of this man, or how he had recognised him despite his disguise, "I'm looking for a wand?"

"Of course you are," said frail Mr. Ollivander, coming close to him, "I remember the day your father came to get his wand. Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches. Great wand that one was, did great things… it was a shame that one didn't… anyway!"

"What great things did it do?" James asked, he felt a little rude, but was so concerned he didn't care.

"Why...what…I," Mr. Ollivander stuttered.

"Its fine," said James, "Only I don't know much about my parents."

"Harry Potter saved my life," said Mr. Ollivander, "I was very grateful for that."

"Lots of people have said that actually," said James bitterly.

"And you, Mr. Potter, should be one of them," said Mr. Ollivander dreamily, "Without your father you wouldn't be standing here today! Not that many know you are… now a wand!"

James wasn't sure what Ollivander's final comment had meant, _not that many know you are_. But he was famous! Everyone knew James Potter, apparently, just not with his disguise on… he didn't have an opportunity to ask Ollivander what he had meant, as Teddy entered the shop at that moment carrying a hansom owl cage, containing a large, goofy looking owl. It's feathers were predominantly white, apart from the black spectacle shaped markings around it's eyes.

"Bought this for you," Teddy said excitedly, he was positively beaming, "You'll need one for sending letters at school!"

James looked at the goofy owl, and laughed slightly, as he had no words, "Wow! Its so cool!"

"She's a Spectacled Owl," Teddy explained, "Reminded me of you, James!"

"Ah, Theodore Lupin," said a dreamy voice, Ollivander had returned from the back of the shop, his arms laden with thin brown boxes, which, James suspected, contained wands, "Willow and Phoenix feather, powerful wand that one."

"Yes it is, thank you sir," said Teddy politely.

"Now, Mr. Potter," said Ollivander, "About your-"

"How did you know this was James Potter?" Teddy blurted out suddenly, "We disguised him!"

"How could I not, is the question you should be asking, Mr. Lupin, the Potter aura is unmistakable."

Teddy looked sceptical, but sighed, "Go on James, try out some wands!"

James hesitated for a moment before heading towards Mr. Ollivander, who had placed his pile of boxes onto the shop counter.

"Now, which is your wand arm?" asked Ollivander.

"I'm left handed," said James unsurely.

"Ah, left-handers are always excellent at Transfiguration, your grandfather, for example, was left handed," said Ollivander wistfully, "Now, hold out your left hand, that's it," he measured James' arm with a tape measure, before doing the same to his legs, hands and feet, "Lets try this one, first," said Ollivander, "Alder and Dragon heartstring, 13 inches, supple. Nice for charm work," he handed James the wand.

James was unsure of what to do with it, but gave it a little flick. Ollivander instantly snatched it away from him, "No, that's no good! Try this, Holly and Unicorn Hair, 11 inches."

James again took the wand, but with no avail, as Ollivander took it back as quickly as he had the first. The pile of discarded wands grew higher and higher as the frail old wizard snatched more and more wands away from James. He began to think that he wouldn't be able to find a wand, and that Teddy would tell him that he obviously wasn't magical enough-

"Try this," Ollivander said exasperatedly, "Mahogany and Demiguise Hair, 13 and a half inches, powerful and remarkable for Transfiguration, very flexible."

James took the wand, and instantaneously he felt a warm glow rush up his arm as though he had just placed it in front of a fire. A few brilliant gold sparks flew from the end of his wand.

"Excellent," said Ollivander happily, "Very good indeed."

"This the one then?" Teddy asked, he must have been very bored watching James try the different wands.

"I think so," said James, "I like this one!"

"No!" said Ollivander firmly, "You do not choose the wand, Mr. Potter. The wand chooses the wizard!"

"Well, this wand must have chosen me then," said James happily, "How much is it?"

"Seven galleons," said Ollivander, and James handed over seven of the shiny gold coins.

As James pushed open the door, he walked straight into a woman with brown bushy hair. She looked familiar. It was then that James realised that he had already walked into this same woman earlier. He blushed deeply.

"Sorry, again," James said sheepishly.

"Not to worry, dear," said the woman kindly, "Are you off to Hogwarts too in September?"

"Yeah," said James, eyeing the small red-haired girl behind the woman.

"Yes, its Rosie's first year too," said the woman, "I'm sure you two'll see each other then- oh hello Teddy!"

"Hi Hermione," said Teddy, James noticed that she was the only adult he called by their first name, "We were just buying James a wand."

"James?" Hermione said, looking distant for a moment, before shaking herself out of it, obviously she knew of the 'famous James Potter', "I hear you're head boy, Teddy?"

"I am, yeah," said Teddy, "Totally unexpected, I know!"

"Whatever McGonagall was thinking I don't know!"

"I'll see you on the 1st September, Hermione," said Teddy, "Bye Rose!"

"Bye," said Hermione and Rose in unison. As the entered the shop for another interrogation by the frail Mr. Ollivander.

* * *

What do you think... i know this chapter was similar to that in HP and Philosopher's Stone, but i needed to get some info in so....HAHAHAHA

Please REVIEW!!! You guys have been great so far :D x x x x x x

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	8. Chapter 7 : The Weasleys

Chapter 7- The Weasleys

When James arrived home that evening he headed straight to his bedroom, not bothering to take off his shoes or hoodie. His school books were still incredibly light, so he didn't need help to carry them upstairs. He dumped them in a huge pile on his bed, along with his weighing scales, telescope, owl cage containing his new owl, and his magic wand. James sat on his bed, and began to search through is pile of belongings for the book he so desperately sought. His eyes fell upon the cover, a photograph, moving of course, of a man holding a wand up to the camera. Over this photograph were the words _What to Do If You See You-Know-Who, by Harry Potter_ emblazoned in bright gold and red.

James could barely control his excitement, he had been waiting for this moment since he first heard of the book, and he turned to the back cover,

_About the Author_

_Harry James Potter, (Son of Auror James Potter and Lily Potter, d. 1981) is possibly the most famous man of modern times. Having survived You-Know-Who on numerous occasions, most notably at ages one and seventeen, Potter is known for his practical defensive magic skill and ability to stay calm in pressured situations. More recently he has married school sweetheart, Ginevra 'Ginny' Potter, and had son James Sirius Potter, named for Harry's father and escaped murderer found innocent, Sirius Black d. 1995. The Potter family currently live in Godric's Hollow, in the west country, and hope to remain there for many more happy years._

James finished reading, this had obviously been written months before the death of his parents. He sighed, and closed the book, pondering the things he had read. The pink sunset was fading through his small bedroom window, illuminating the moving photograph below the writing on his father. It was of a family of three, a tall man with flyaway black hair, brilliant green eyes and an unmistakable lightening bolt scar on his forehead, so like James'. The man, presumably James' father, had his arm around a red-headed woman, she was very pretty, and had deep hazel eyes. James' eyes. James' mother was laughing happily, a baby in her arms, he was wearing blue pyjamas and his raven-black hair was as messy as his father's, his eyes as mesmerising as his father's.

It was sad that the only memory James had of his parents was a photograph at the back of a school textbook. The only shard of them he could remember, the only thing he had to tie him to his past, before Lady Triste had murdered his parents. Before he got a scar like is father's. James gazed jealously at the clean forehead of his past self, and lay on his bed. He gazed at the photo for hours, just watching the figures laugh and joke as the baby gurgled happily. But that was all Harry and Ginny Potter were, memories on a page.

* * *

The morning of 1st of September had arrived far swifter than James anticipated. He had spent the remainder of the holidays packing his things up, and hanging out at Cygnus' house. He was packing too. James hadn't mentioned how he had heard his friends name at Diagon Alley, after all, that would be breaking wizard law- revealing important information to a muggle. They hadn't talked much about the schools they were going to, and James thought that was for the best, he didn't want awkward questions about Hogwarts.

James awoke early, he could hardly contain his excitement at finally going off to Hogwarts school. Finally being free from the uninspiring and monotonous place that was Woking, Surrey. He couldn't wait to finally be able to learn spells, defensive ones especially. Every night since his trip to Diagon Alley, he had stared at the photograph of his parents, he felt as though they could _see_ him. He felt connected to him, and this photograph solidified this connection.

"James are you packed?" His aunt's call woke James from his trance. He shot straight up, and fell over instantly, knocking over the owl cage. He was very clumsy. James had decided to name his owl Luna, after one of the authors of his textbook. The name reminded him of the moon, and he associated owls with the night. Luna seemed to like her name anyway.

He picked up the owl cage, and apologised to the infuriated owl, who was ruffling her white feathers and clicking her beak in irritation. He placed the cage on top of his large school trunk, which he had finished packing the night before, and shot out of his room like a bolt. He thundered down the stairs, tripped on the final step, and fell into the arms of his Uncle Dudley.

"Ah.. Yes," said Dudley, coughing slightly in confusion, "James, may I have a word?"

"Yeah, sure Uncle Dudley," said James, quite taken aback as his uncle led him up the stairs and into his office. When the two of them were safely in the room, Dudley shut the door firmly behind him, and sat down at his desk.

"Right, well, um," he began, "I've had this for a while and well… I think…"

He began to rifle through his desk draws, until he pulled out a brown paper package about the size of a book. He handed it to James.

"Thanks?" James said sceptically, unsure of what to make of the package.

"It was your fathers," Dudley explained, "I have a whole trunk full of his things in the attic. This one I thought you might like though."

"Wow, thanks Uncle Dudley," said James, and he was truly grateful.

"Maybe, if you'd like, we could sort the things out when you come home next summer?"

"Sure," said James, that was the first time Dudley had implied that Leggit Way was James' home, "Thanks again!"

"No problem," said Dudley, "Have fun at school, James."

James left his Uncle's study, positively beaming. He had entirely forgotten his aunts calls, and headed straight to his room, to open his father's mystery package. He sat on his bed, and tore off the brown paper. Three photographs fell out, each in a thin, dusty silver frame. They were moving, as James had discovered, all wizard photographs were.

The first was of three people, they couldn't have been much older than James was. One of them, in the middle, was James' father, his black hair messy and his green eyes glinting, as they were in the photo taken years later, which sat in James' textbook. On one side of his father was another boy, who was tall and gangling, with flaming red hair, and a quizzical and confused look on his freckled face. On the other side was a girl with extremely bushy brown hair- she was unmistakeable as the woman James and Teddy had met in Diagon Alley not a month ago, Hermione.

The second photograph was of an entire party of people, ranging from an elderly man with a long silver beard and luminous blue eyes, to a pair of identical red-headed twins, who were grinning eagerly up at the camera, waving. James could also see his father again, he was older this time, probably fifteen, and again he had the red head and Hermione on either side of him. James also spotted a man who looked very like Teddy, possibly his father? He wasn't sure. Beside him was another man who looked very familiar to James. He recognised that floppy hair…

He looked at the third photograph, which was of six school students, they were probably about 16 in this. His father was in the middle again, his face covered in scratches, as well as the famous lightening bolt scar. James also recognised his red-headed mother, and Hermione. The three others were a black haired boy with a round face, a vacant looking girl with dish-water blonde hair, and that red-headed boy. He looked so familiar. James was sure he had seen that red-head before, probably in Diagon Alley. He thought.

James shoved the three photographs into his school trunk, and closed it tightly. He dragged it down the stairs into the hallway, before going back upstairs for Luna's cage. His aunt helped him load the heavy trunk into the car boot, and Dunstan helped him get the owl cage into the back seat of the car. He was not happy, however, about having to share the car with a wizard and an owl. He was slightly unsure of what James would do to him.

The car journey to Kings Cross Station passed rather uneventfully, bar a few minor traffic jams, and the 'family' of three, Aunt Carol, Dunstan and James arrived in London with still half an hour to spare. Aunt Carol helped James to get a trolley, and load his heavy trunk and Luna's cage onto it. James had to admit that he did feel rather foolish walking round the centre of London with a school trunk and an owl's cage, but he knew this was the right place.

"Have you got you're ticket James?" Aunt Carol asked him kindly just before she and Dunstan left.

"Yeah," said James, removing the small yellowish ticket from the pocket of his jeans, he hadn't previously looked at it.

"Good, we'll see you next summer," she said stiffly, giving James a cold hug.

"Bye James," said Dunstan.

"Bye guys," said James, as he watched his 'family' get back into the large 4x4 and drive off into the crowded streets of the capital.

It was rather odd for James, thinking that he wouldn't be returning to Surrey for nearly an entire year, he was still half expecting someone to tell him that they'd got the wrong boy, and he wasn't a wizard at all. He decided to check his ticket, the train would be leaving soon, and he didn't even know the platform number.

_The Hogwarts Express_

_11 o'clock_

_Platform 9 ¾, Kings Cross Station_

Nine and three quarters? That couldn't be right! James looked across at the platforms, and there was a clear sign saying No. 9 and No.10, no nine and tree quarters! He looked around frantically, searching for other school trunks and owls, but could see none. He decided to ask a controller where to go.

"Excuse me sir," he asked the balding man in the blue uniform, "Could you tell me where Platform 9 ¾ is?"

"Nine and 'free quartaz?" said the man, "You're barkin'!"

"No, it says here… on my ticket!" James protested, but the controller pushed him away.

"Come on sonny," he said, "an' bring ya' shtoopid owl wiv' ya' an all!"

James decided that asking muggles was not the way to go, but the clock was ticking past, and the train would be leaving in fifteen minutes-

"Full of muggles, of course! Come on everyone!" James spun around at the sound of the woman talking, a witch! There was a large group of red-headed children, six of them, and one brown haired woman, and a red-headed man were leading them on. Each child had a school trunk like James, and several of the older ones had broomsticks!

James ran at the family, owl and trunk on trolley in front, and very nearly crashed into the man at the back. He ended up on the floor, Luna's cage on top of him.

"Sorry!" he said, to the man, who had picked up his trolley- he was missing an ear!

"Not to worry young man," replied one-ear man, "First year in Hogwarts too-"

He stopped suddenly when James turned to look at him. It was as if he had seen a ghost, he turned white as a sheet, and just stood there, staring at him. Unable to take his eyes off James' messy black hair and lightening bolt scar.

"Angie!" he called at the brown haired woman, "Angie come here now!"

Angie came running with the youngest of the children, a girl, who James recognised as Rose, Hermione's daughter. He gave her a little wave, but she hid behind the woman's coat.

"Oh Merlin!" gasped Angie, who was now also staring at James, "Could he have travelled through time, George?"

"I don't know Angie," said George, who was still gaping at James, "How did you get here?"

"My aunt dropped me off," said James, he was very confused. Maybe they recognised him because he was famous?

"Whats your aunt's name?" asked George, he was looking at James very strangely.

"Carol?" James said sceptically, these two were barking mad!

George and Angie sighed at hearing the name of his aunt, as though a huge weight had been taken off their shoulders.

"Excuse us for a moment, would you," George said politely. James was now _very_ confused. The two adults went to a spot several metres from James, and begun to whisper heatedly. James caught snippets of the conversation like 'just like he did at that age' and 'lives with his aunt and uncle' and 'but he's DEAD!'. After about a minute, they returned to James, both smiling happily.

"Sorry, son," said George, "But you look very like someone we used to know."

"Apparently I look like my dad," said James, "Maybe you knew him?"

George and Angie turned white as sheets once more, "What was your dad's name?" George asked dubiously.

"Harry Potter," said James proudly, and at that George and Angie looked ready to faint.

"What kind of _sick_ joke are you playing?" George hissed, grabbing firm hold of James' arm, "You know what our family went through! Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" asked James incredulously, "I only wanted to know how to get onto the platform!"

"But you're DEAD!" George said, a little too loudly, as a few muggles looked around at him.

"No I am not!" said James, he was rather offended at being called dead, "I'm very much alive, thank-you!"

"What's your name?" asked George, hoping it was just a coincidence.

"James Sirius Potter," said James, and with that, Angie fainted. George stared at James for several moments, showing no sign of going to help his wife. He looked angry and James knew better than to cross an angry wizard.

"You should go," George said coldly, "Rose, go with this boy to the platform."

"Okay," said Rose, "I'll see you soon George."

Rose set off towards the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, "You need to run at it, like this," she explained to James. She grabbed a tight hold of her trolley, and ran straight at the wall. James was sure she was going to crash… but she didn't. She merely disappeared seamlessly through the solid brick wall, trolley and everything. James decided to follow her quickly so as not to annoy George, and ran at the wall as Rose had done. He too glided easily through the solid brick wall. Magic was incredible.

James had appeared on a crowded platform, full to bursting of young witches and wizards in long black school robes. There was a thick steam coating the platform, but through it he could see cats, owls, broomsticks, toads, even a large cauldron too big for someone's trunk. At the centre of it all was a great scarlet steam engine, which was the source of the steam. On it was written in shiny gold letters The Hogwarts Express.

"Aren't you so excited to finally be going to Hogwarts?" asked Rose when she caught sight of James.

"Yeah," said James, "I mean, I only found out about it in March."

"Muggle born?" asked Rose, "Its okay, my mums muggle born too."

"I'm not actually," said James, "Both my parents were wizards."

"Huh," said Rose, "Where are they today… I mean, why aren't they with you?"

"They died when I was a baby," James said quickly.

"Oh… Sorry," said Rose, blushing deeply, "I mean.. I don't know who my dad is."

"Oh, sorry," James repeated, "But you're mum seems nice."

"When did you meet my mum?" asked Rose quickly.

"At Diagon Alley," James said, grinning, "I was the blonde boy with Teddy!"

"That was _you_?" she asked incredulously, "Why the disguise?"

"Apparently I'm famous," said James bitterly, "Not that anybody's noticed."

"I've never seen you before," said Rose, "But I don't tend to read papers. My mum hates the Daily Prophet. What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't," said James, "Well, not to you anyway. I'm James Potter."

"Rose Granger," said Rose happily, "I think I've heard the name Potter before… my mum's best friend was called Potter I think… he died when I was a baby though and- YOU'RE JAMES POTTER!"

"Yeah, I do know my own name thanks," said James, blushing as several people turned to look at them, "Why does everyone seem so surprised about that?"

"Well," whispered Rose, "Because everyone thinks James Potter is dead!"

"But I'm not dead!" said James, "Why do people think that?"

"They never found you're body in your parents house," said Rose, "I remember mum telling me the story! They assumed you had died, as they never found you!"

"But Professor McGonagall knows I'm alive," said James, "She came to visit me! She told me all about that Triste woman who killed my parents!"

"You said her name!" Rose gasped, "People don't like to say it, they're still scared… in case she comes back… like _Voldemort_ did!"

"Sorry," said James, "I don't know any better."

"We should get onto the train," said Rose quickly, obviously avoiding questions about it, "It'll be leaving soon."

Rose and James helped each other to get their trunks onto the train, apparently the people who Rose had arrived with were family friends, and they had deserted her after the incident with George and Angie. That had, for James at least, been a most surreal experience. He had been told he was dead, told he was lying, and then caused a grown woman to faint, something he had never done before in his life. That he knew of…

The train was as crowded as the steamy platform below, and it was difficult to find an empty compartment. Rose, who seemed to be a collected character, stormed ahead of James, who was struggling with Luna's cage. He had to admit that he had received a number of dubious looks from various Hogwarts students of all ages, whether this was due to his apparent 'dead' state, or his crazy owl, he wasn't sure. Suddenly, James collided with something. He looked up, to see a turquoise haired boy beaming down at him.

"Blimey James, you near gave me a heart attack!" Teddy gasped.

"Sorry Teddy," said James, "I've had a rough day."

"Hmmm," said Teddy, "I think I know what this is about… look James, I'm needed up at the front, but if you come up there later we can talk?"

"Yeah okay," James said angrily, he knew Teddy had known about all this and not told him.

"Bye James," said Teddy, "Bye Rose!"

"What was that about?" Rose asked, sticking her head out of the compartment, "In here."

"Nothing," said James, hauling Luna's cage into the compartment Rose had found. There was one other boy in there, with flaming red hair.

"Freddie, this is James," said Rose proudly.

"We've met before," said James.

"Have we?" asked Freddie, "When?"

James had entirely forgotten that last time the boys met he had been in disguise, "Uh, I was the blonde boy in Madam Malkins."

"Blimey," said Freddie, "So you were! But I'm sure I've seen you before!"

"He's James Potter!" said Rose excitedly, unable to contain herself.

"No he's not!" said Freddie angrily, "James died when he was little! I mean , yeah this chap has the hair and everything… but, how could he have survived?"

"Show him James," Rose said, positively jumping with excitement. James pulled up his floppy fringe to reveal a thin, lightening bolt scar on is forehead. Just like his dad's.

"Blimey," said Freddie, his mouth open in astonishment, "Where have you been then?"

"With my aunt and uncle," said James, "They're muggles."

"But why didn't you come to live with us?" Freddie asked incredulously.

"Why would I have done?"

"Well.. I mean, I'm your cousin mate!" Freddie said, "You're mum was my dad's sister."

"What?" asked James, trying to tell himself it wasn't true, "No! My only family are the muggles! Otherwise I would have gone to live with you! They would have let me live with you! You're lying!"

"I wish I was mate, really," laughed Freddie, "I don't fancy a nutter like you for a cousin," noticing James' hurt expression he added, "I'm joking! Merlin, don't look at me like that!"

"So… why didn't I come to live with you?" James asked, his voice quiet and quivering.

"No idea mate," said Freddie, "But I'm sure McGonagall will know when we get to school. Now sit down, forget about it!"

James highly doubted that he would forget about being told he had a wide extended family, but sat down next to Rose anyway, placing Luna's cage on the rack above him.

"So," he said, "I didn't catch your name?"

"Fred Weasley the 2nd!" said Fred proudly, holding out a hand. But James recoiled from him at the sound of his name.

"WEASLEY?" James asked incredulously.

"Here we go again…"

* * *

DUN DUN DUN!!!!! what do you think? and you guessed whats coming next

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	9. Chapter 8 : Expected and Unexpected

Chapter 8-

"WEASLEY?" James asked incredulously.

"Here we go again…" said Rose.

"You're right here we go again!" said Fred angrily, "Just because my uncle is an escaped murderer doesn't mean I am!"

"I wasn't accusing you of being, I was just startled by the name!" said James, Fred blushed slightly.

"Heh-hem… well… glad we straightened things out…" said Fred awkwardly.

"But do you think he did it?" asked James, "I mean, do you think he murdered those people?"

"Well… you never know…could…" Rose started, but trailed off a bit, as though trying to change the subject.

"What house are you going to be in then?" Fred asked boldly.

"Gryffindor," said Rose and Fred in unison, "But Ravenclaw wouldn't be so bad I suppose," added Rose.

"YEah, so long as I'm not in Slytherin," said Fred grumpily, "I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

Rose nodded, but James sat there silently, "Whats wrong with Slytherin?" he asked Fred, who recoiled as James had done at the name Weasley.

"Whats wrong with Slytherin!?" Fred said aghast, "More like what _isn't_ wrong with Slytherin. Just about everything is mate. I mean, both Voldemort and She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, were Slytherins!"

"Oh," said James, now sure he did not want to be in the house which seemed to have a vendetta against his family. The journey continued quietly, Rose and Fred explaining more to James about the wizarding world. Especially Quidditch, it seemed that both of them were huge fans of the sport.

"I play Keeper at home," said Rose, "Mum doesn't let me play often though. Says it reminds me of my dad… not that she'll tell me who he is or anything," she added bitterly.

"Nah," said Fred casually, throwing aside Rose's dad comment, "I'm a Beater, like dad."

"I've never been on a broomstick," James said quietly, rather embarrassed.

"Never been on a broomstick!?" Fred exclaimed again, it seemed everything James said outraged him.

"Of course he hasn't, you prat!" said Rose angrily, "He was brought up wit muggles! Anyway James, I'm sure you'll be an amazing flier, I've heard your dad was the best around!"

"Your mum was a good player too," added Fred, "She played professionally for the Holyhead Harpies!"

"Really?" asked James happily, he loved to hear about his parents, "You two seem to know more about them than I do."

"You'll learn more in time," comforted Rose, patting James on the shoulder. He sighed deeply. It had started to rain, and the spots were trickling down the window boredly as the train sped through the open countryside. It was well past lunchtime, and it seemed that Fred was someone who did not appreciate missing lunch.

"Where's the damn trolley!" he said angrily, "I specifically told dad _not_ to make me sandwiches so I could buy some Pumpkin Pasties!"

"All you ever think about is food, Freddie!" said Rose, "Maybe you should look around on the train, find the trolley?"

Fred stood up straight away, and stomped out of their compartment, slamming the sliding door behind him. He reminded James of his best friend, Cygnus. He imagined the black haired boy on another train to another far away school somewhere. He wished Cygnus was here.

"Well, glad he's gone," said Rose, "Now I can ask you how you're doing?"

"What?" asked James, "Why did Fred need to be gone?"

"Well, not that he isn't nice or anything, but Freddie has some… rather strong opinions…" said Rose, "Anyway, how _are_ you doing?"

"I'm okay," James lied easily, "For someone who just found out he has a family who have thought him dead for 10 years."

Rose chuckled, "You always seem to make the best of things James."

James didn't quite know what to say to this, he had often been told he made the best of things. By his teachers - when they weren't shouting at him- by Cygnus… James had never really felt he made the best of anything, he always just said what came to his mind. Rose seemed to understand him, she seemed to really get what was going through his mind, and James-

"OW!" he suddenly felt a sharp bite on his finger, he spun around, looking for a source of the pain. He then spotted a large orange cat sitting on the compartment floor.

"No!" said Rose angrily, "Bad Marmaduke! You don't bit people like that! I'm so sorry James!"

"Its fine," said James, spluttering slightly, "How come I didn't notice _Marmaduke_ before?"

"He was asleep in his basket!" said Rose, "I'm so sorry, he tends to bite people he likes… I don't know!"

"He's very cute," said James, not altogether truthfully.

"Hmm," said Rose, "He reminded my mum of- No! Marmaduke!"

The great orange cat had leapt from Rose's arms, and sprinted to the door, which was now open due to Fred's reappearance.

"Bloody Hell!" said Fred, "Why'd you let your nutcase cat out?"

"I didn't!" Rose cried, "Oh Fred! James, help me find him!"

"Why?" asked Fred irritably, "No one wants him anyway!"

"Fine!" said Rose crossly, "_You_ don't have to help! Come on James!"

She stood up and stamped out of the door, past Fred, in the direction which Marmaduke had run off in. James hesitated for a moment, before getting up and following her, offering Fred an apologetic shrug. James was surprised to find the corridor was now entirely empty, whereas before it had been full. He supposed this was because no one liked to stand up while travelling… but all the same.

"James!" he heard Rose call from inside a nearby compartment, "This boy found him… sorry I didn't catch your name?"

James ran towards the compartment where Rose was, just in time for the boy to say, "Cygnus Black, at your service."

"CYGNUS!?" James exclaimed, looking at te boy properly now. He was unmistakeably his best friend. The floppy black hair, the startling green eyes, the high cheekbones…

"JAMES!?" Cygnus said, equally as startled as James had been.

"You two know each other?" Rose asked sceptically. The two boys ignored her entirely.

"What are you doing here?" asked James.

"I should be asking you the same question! I told her! I told mum it was the same James Potter! She didn't believe me!" Cygnus muttered.

"What are you talking about?" asked James, "I mean… you didn't know you were a wizard before this…did you?"

Cygnus coughed awkwardly, and turned a deep shade of maroon, "Well… thing is… I've sort of known all my life… and well.. Heh-hem…" he trailed off.

"Why are you embarrassed?" asked James, "You couldn't have told me anyway!"

"But… I told her!" Cygnus repeated defiantly.

"So you thought I was dead too?" asked James exasperatedly, he had to admit he was getting rather tired of this.

"Well, to be honest mate, the whole wizarding world thinks you're dead!" Cygnus said bluntly.

"That's absolutely bloody excellent, isn't it?" James said sarcastically, "You always seem to know how to make a man feel better."

"Well, at least you're here," Cygnus commented. It was true, it was good that the two best friends were re-united once more.

"Yeah, its good to see you mate," said James, "Wanna come and sit with us?"

"Sure," said Cygnus, picking up a cage with a tiny owl inside, Marmaduke hissed loudly at it, "Bad cat!"

"Don't be so cruel to Marmaduke," snapped Rose, stroking the cat's orange fur, "You didn't mean it, did you sweetie?" The cat purred happily in Rose's arms.

Cygnus muttered something incoherent, which James suspected was along the lines of 'pretty sure he did mean it'. James felt faintly sick, he, like Cygnus, had never been all that fond of cats. They seemed so suspicious, always prancing around, sneaking up on you, hiding in the shadows…they reminded James of bad dreams. James often had bad dreams. They often involved screaming, and a flash of green light. He supposed that they were the deaths of his parents.

"Chocolate Frog?" asked Fred abruptly. The four of them had been sitting quietly for several minutes, listening to Fred munch loudly on his food from the trolley.

"What?" asked James.

"Would you like a Chocolate Frog?" Fred repeated, but James looked blankly at him again.

"Come on Jamie," said Cygnus, outraged, "Don't tell me you've never had a Chocolate Frog!"

"I've never had a Chocolate Frog," said James smugly, "You just got told, my friend!"

Cygnus pouted and folded his arms in a sulk, as Fred chucked James a small cardboard box. It was purple, and had a picture of a croaking Frog on it, "They're not _real_ Frogs are they?" James asked worriedly, to be honest it wouldn't surprise him.

"Of course not!" said Rose, giggling, "They're just sweets!"

Satisfied with her reply, James ripped open the wrapper and found a little frog shaped chocolate inside. It suddenly leapt up into the air, and landed splat on the floor, where a prowling Marmaduke snapped it up in his greedy mouth.

"Oh!" said Rose, "Bad Marmaduke! Don't eat James' chocolate like that!"

"Never mind mate," said Fred, "but see what the card is! I'm still missing Sirius Black!"

"Who?" James and Cygnus said in unison, noticing their middle names, and Cygnus' last name.

"Sirius Black," said Fred, "Come on, guys, you must know him!"

"I lived with muggles for ten years," said James, "The only Black I know is Cygnus here." he pointed casually at his best friend, who grinned nonchalantly.

"Ugh," said Fred, "Just check would you?"

James picked up the small card in the bottom of the frog box. There was a photograph of a young man, who looked very familiar to James. He had casually elegant black hair, which fell around his grey eyes. He was quite hansom, but also very young-looking. He turned the card over and read:

MODERN WITCHES AND WIZARDS

SIRIUS ORION BLACK 1960 - 1995

Previously believed mass-murder Sirius Black was found innocent on his day of death, in June of 1995. Black was an excellent wizard, and a most notable member of the underground organisation, The Order of the Phoenix, where he worked alongside others such as Albus Dumbledore, James Potter, and Mad-Eye Moody. Before being sentenced to 10 years in Azkaban, Black was an Auror, as well as Godfather to Harry Potter. He escaped in the summer of 1993, now known due to the fact he was an unregistered Animagus. Black was an inspiration to those who sough the truth, and fought against You-Know-Who.

"I got him!" said James excitedly, "I got Black!"

"Never!" said Fred, grabbing the card off him, "Can I have it?"

"Sure," said James, "Be my guest."

Fred looked at the card as though it was a golden ticket, and James was happy to have given it to him. He was still thinking about what he had read on the card about Sirius Black. _Worked alongside James Potter_… James' grandfather! _Godfather to Harry Potter_… James' father! _Escaped from Azkaban_… _an inspiration_… this Sirius Black sounded like an amazing bloke. And that's where James remembered him from! He would have to show the others when they got to school…

There was a knock at the door, and a snooty looking girl with long blonde hair poked her head through the door, "We'll be at Hogwarts in 10 minutes" she said, "I suggest you change soon."

"Thanks Vic," said Fred, smiling as the girl turned and went on the next compartment, "That's _our_ cousin, Victoire." he said to James, who smiled at the use of _our_.

They changed quickly into their long black school robes. It was dark outside now, and they could barely see the Scottish country side which surrounded them. The great scarlet steam engine pulled into the station, and the windows were soon clouded with not only darkness, but also a thick white steam. There was an air of excitement in the small carriage, and the four first years were positively shaking as they collected their belongings, and pets, and friends, in James' case, as Cygnus fell over.

They jumped onto the platform, it was incredibly dark, and James was shivering in the cold night air. A lamp came bobbing overhead of the huddle of tiny students, along with a cry of, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

James looked around to see a giant man with what seemed like a black bush for a face. He had tiny black eyes, and rough looking skin, his face could barely be seen for beard and darkness.

"That's Hagrid," Rose whispered from next to him, and James raised his eyebrows at her, "He's nice once you get to know him!"

"Come on! Follow me- any more Firs' years?" Hagrid shouted again, as the platform empty of older students, "Mind yer step! All Firs' years follow me!"

They sea of heads followed Hagrid, slipping and stumbling as they went, down a small, narrow path which seemed to lead nowhere. There was little chatter around them, as they were too nervous to speak.

"Ooh, look!" shouted a boy not far away from James, "A Nargle!"

There was a small titter of laughter, which was silenced by Hagrid, "Yeh'll get yer firs' look a' Hogwarts in a momen'," said the giant, "Jus' 'round this corner!"

There was a resounding, "Ooooh!" which echoed around the surrounding cliffs as the narrow path opened up to reveal a large black lake, the surface of which was still and shimmering like a mirror. Atop a cliff on the other side of the lake was an impressive castle, with turrets and towers and what seemed like a thousand tiny windows, each alight like a tiny firefly.

"No more'n four to a boat!" called Hagrid, pointing to a group of boats not far away. James, Cygnus, Rose and Fred got into a boat together.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, getting into his own boat, which sagged into the black water under his great weight, "Righ' then! FORWARD!"

And with that, the little fleet of boats began to move together in formation across the glassy water of the black lake. Still, everyone was silent, simply gazing at the castle over head, or at the mountains surrounding them. The first boats reached the cliff on the other side of the lake, and the students ducked beneath a canopy of ivy, which hid a hole in the cliff face. The tunnel on the other side was taking them, it seemed, right underneath the castle. James was excited.

They reached a large, underground harbour, where the boats stopped, again in formation. The gaggle of first years clambered out of their boats. They were standing on a sort of beach, covered in rocks and pebbles, and ahead of them was-

"The war memorial!" Hagrid announced, pointing towards the great statue of a witch, two wizards and centaur, each bearing a weapon, "At least, tha's one of 'em anyways!" he added, with a sad chuckle.

Most of the first years followed Hagrid through a passageway in the rock, but James, Cygnus, Rose and Fred lingered for a moment at the memorial. They gazed into the eyes of one of the wizards, who, James noticed, had a scar on his forehead like he had, and unruly hair, like he had. The witch beside him had bushy hair, and a pretty face- Rose's mother. But the third wizard was unfamiliar to James, he was tall, and thin, but had a round face. He realised with a jolt that this was the round-faced boy in the picture Uncle Dudley had given him a lifetime ago.

Beneath the statue were names of people who had been lost. James noticed that his parent's names were not included. Obviously they had not died in battle.

"Hurry up, yeh four!" boomed Hagrid from someway along the passage way, and the four of them clambered over the rocks, and towards the bobbing lamplight. They soon came to the end, and found themselves on sopping wet grass, and in the shadow of the great castle. They rejoined the herd of first years, who were standing beneath a great wooden door.

"Marmaduke no!" Rose called for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, as the orange beast leapt from her hands and towards Hagrid.

"Keep yer bloody cat under control, Rose!" he bellowed, though not at all angrily, "Blimey, you remind me of yer mother!"

Rose blushed a little as Hagrid kicked the orange cat back at her, "Everybody go' here alrigh'?" he asked, "Good."

He raised a giant fist, and knocked three times on the door in front of him.

* * *

HMMM... what do you thinketh?

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	10. Chapter 9 : What Potter, Not Potter

Chapter 9-

The door swung open almost as soon as the giant's hand touch it. A tall, black haired man in navy blue robes stood there. He had a round face, James recognised him as the boy from the photographs, and a broad grin.

"Here they are, Nev- I mean, Professor Longbottom," said Hagrid.

"Thanks Hagrid," said Professor Longbottom, "I'll take them from here."

He pulled the huge door open wide, so that all the first years were able to spill through it. The entrance hall was bigger than the whole of James and Cygnus' old school, and the stone walls were lit with flaming torches. In front of them was another memorial, this time of two men in battle, wand raised at each other, and behind that, was a great marble staircase - James noticed that there was a chunk missing from one of the banisters.

Professor Longbottom paused for a moment in front of the was memorial, but passed on, obviously not too interested in it. They herd of first years were led across the flagged stone floor, past another great door. James could hear the voices of what seemed like hundreds of people inside. Their Professor led them into a small antechamber next to the busy room, where the first years crammed in, standing far more closely than they should have done.

"Good evening!" said Professor Longbottom, who was standing at the front, "My name is Professor Longbottom, and I am head of Gryffindor House, here at Hogwarts! The start of term banquet will begin in several minutes, but before you take your seats in the great hall, you will be sorted into houses. It is very important to be sorted to the right house, as while you are here at Hogwarts, your house will become your family-"

"I hope I don't get a family of Slytherins," James whispered to Cygnus, who tittered nervously.

"-your classes will be in houses," continued Professor Longbottom, "you will sleep in your houses, and you will eat at your house tables.

There are four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and _Slytherin,_" he said the last with utmost dislike, "Doing well in school earns your house points. Any rule-breaking will loose points, and believe me, your housemates will not thank you for it. At the end of each year, the house with the most points wins the House Cup, a high honour. Now, the Sorting Ceremony will begin in a moment. I suggest you make yourselves neat and tidy." his eyes lingered upon Fred Weasley, whose tie was undone, and cloak in his arms. James tried to nervously flatten his hair.

"I will be back for you in a jiffy," Professor Longbottom said, smiling, before leaving the antechamber.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" James asked Rose nervously, imagining battling a troll, or performing complex spells.

"We just try on the Sorting Hat," said Rose, "My mum told me," James sighed in relief, "What? Were you imagining some battle with a troll?" she added.

"Yes, actually," said James, somewhat embarrassed.

"Don't be so silly!" Rose giggled, "Anyway, mum fought one in first year, and its not all that its cracked up to be."

James gaped at her, and Rose just looked sternly at him. But then, something happened which made him jump several feet into the air- a great, pearly white ghost had appeared in front of them, his robes were blood-stained, and he was brandishing a rusty knife. There were several screams around him.

"Baron, really," said a disembodied voice, and another ghost appeared not two feet from where James and Rose were standing, this one was wearing ruffles, "Try not to scare the first years!"

"Sorry," said the gruff voiced Baron, "Welcome to Hogwarts, first years. Lets make lots of Slytherins of you!"

"I should hope not!" said the second ghost, "We'll send you all to Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!"

James had to admit he liked the sound of Gryffindor, and he got a firm impression that many people he knew had been there.

"Move along please," said a friendly voice, "Nick, please stop annoying the students," the ruffled ghost- Nick- was walking through the group just next to James, who were shivering. He was very thankful that Nick had not decided to walk through him.

"Now," said Professor Longbottom, "If you would like to follow me, the sorting will begin!"

Feeling as though his heart was about to pound from his chest, James followed after the Professor, as did the rest of the first years. He was so nervous, after all, he was about to reveal himself to a thousand people who thought he was dead. James had to admit that this thought made him feel anything but warm inside, he felt as if Nick truly had just walked through him.

They followed Professor Longbottom out of the antechamber, and back into the corridor, where they then went through the heavy wooden doors, and into the Great Hall. James could not have imagined a more amazing place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles, which were suspended in mid air above four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The tables were laden with gold plates, and shining glass goblets, and at the top of the hall was another table, where the teachers sat smiling at them.

Professor Longbottom led them up here, so that they lined up in front of all the other students. James noticed he was getting several odd looks from some of the older students. He looked up at the velvety black ceiling, which was dotted with stars.

"Its enchanted to look like the night sky," Rose whispered, "I read about it in _Hogwarts: A History_."

While James thought to himself that Rose seemed to have read about everything, he looked at the ceiling again. It really was hard to imagine that it was infact a roof, and that the hall did not just open to the heavens above. Professor Longbottom placed a small wooden stool in front of the first years, and then places a hat on top of it. The hat was frayed and dirty, it also had scorch marks at it's tip. James was sure Aunt Carol would not have let it anywhere near the house.

The hat twitched, and then a small gap appeared above it's brim. It opened wide, and then, the hat began to sing:

_I welcome you to school this year,_

_Familiar and anew._

_I am the Sorting Hat, who's here,_

_To sort you fair and true._

_The four great houses you all know,_

_I'll put in the one._

_That sets you on your path in life,_

_Until you're dead and done._

_Gryffindor is first to be,_

_A house with heart and pride._

_Where noble witch and wizard go,_

_To choose the rightful side._

_Ravenclaw is next in line,_

_A house of wit and smarts._

_Intellect is in demand,_

_As is a clever heart._

_Hufflepuff is next to last,_

_A just and lawful kind,_

_They stay in turn and say yes sir,_

_And keep an open mind._

_Slytherin is last, not least,_

_They are a special breed._

_With wands in hand, and heads held high,_

_A warning they do heed._

_So let me see your gifted mind_

_To see where you will be,_

_The secrets of your hearts content,_

_Are never safe from me._

_I'll look to see where you belong,_

_In Gryffindor or Slytherin,_

_Or maybe simple Hufflepuff,_

_Or fearless, Loyal Ravenclaw._

_So try me on this noble day,_

_And as the Sorting Hat I say,_

_I'll put you where you'll want to stay!_

The entire hall burst into applause when the hat was done, and it bowed to each of the four tables, before becoming quite still again.

Professor Longbottom stood up grandly, and unrolled a piece of parchment, "Now, when I call your name, come and try on the hat," he said firmly, "Abercrombie, Freya."

Freya Abercrombie was a small, blonde girl, who stumbled a little as she got up to try on the hat. It fell down over her eyes, and after a moment it cried-

"RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaw table clapped loudly as Freya ran to sit down there.

"Baddock, Marvin!"

"SLYTHERIN!" and Marvin ran off to join the Slytherin table.

"Belby, Alexa!"

"RAVENCLAW!" Alexa ran to join Freya at the Ravenclaw table.

"Black, Cygnus!"

James jumped as Cygnus' name was called, as did several others, apparently they had heard of Sirius Black too. Cygnus sat nervously on the stool, and placed the hat on. He looked as though he was having an internal battle with the hat, who eventually shouted-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Cygnus punched the air as he ran to join the rest of the Gryffindors. This made James want to be in that house even more.

"Cadwallader, Ellie!" "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Cauldwell, Ginevra!" "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Davies, Harry!" "RAVENCLAW!"

"Derrick, Robert!" "SLYTHERIN!"

As more and more people were sorted, James became more and more nervous. He had decided he did not want to be in Slytherin, they looked like an unpleasant lot.

"Finnegan, Kerry!" became a Gryffindor, and "Frobisher, Yasmin!" became a Hufflepuff.

"Granger, Rose!"

Rose smiled at James as she went to sit on the stool. It had barely touched her head when it cried, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Rose smiled broadly, and looked up at the teacher's table, where James noticed Hermione was sitting. She looked happy too, and winked at her daughter as she sat at the Gryffindor table with Cygnus.

James' nerves were beginning to get the better of him, as Professor Longbottom sailed past H, I, J, K, L, M…

"Malfoy, Scorpius!"

A thin, pale boy with white-blonde hair swaggered up to the stool, and the hat barely had time to touch his head before it said, "SLYTHERIN!"

The Slytherin table cheered loudly as they gained their newest member.

There weren't all that many people left now, "Moon"… "Munch"… "Ogden"… "Peakes"… any finally

"Potter, James!" cried Neville, "Wait…no, can't be right!" he added, his face shocked, he looked around for any trace of a Potter

There was an odd silence in the hall, and James was unsure of whether he should go up to be sorted. There were whispers of 'Potter?', 'thought he died?', 'maybe a muggle born?' and finally, 'I can see him!'

"Is James Potter here?" Professor Longbottom asked again, and James took a deep breath, and a step forward.

He walked slowly towards the stool, avoiding the stunned gazes of the Hogwarts students, and sat down. Professor Longbottom placed the Sorting hat on his head, where it covered his eyes, obscuring the onlookers from view.

"Hmmm…" said a tiny voice in his ear, "Never thought I'd be seeing you, that's for sure… yes… Difficult you are… very difficult, like your father… plenty of courage, yes… a good brain too, when you learn to use it… talented! Yes, my you're talented… but where to put you?"

_Not Slytherin_, James chanted in his mind, _Not Slytherin_

"Ha!" cried the hat, "Just like your father again… not Slytherin? Quite sure? It could make you great you know… no doubt about that. Are you sure? Well then, better be - GRYFFINDOR!"

James could tell the hat had shouted the last word out to the hall, as there was a moment's silence, before the Gryffindor table erupted into great woops and cheers of 'WE GOT POTTER!'. James sat down proudly at the table next to Cygnus, who patted him on the back.

James could see the teacher's table clearly now, and saw Hagrid sitting at the end in a chair bigger than two of the chairs which the other teachers occupied. Next to him was a tiny wizard, no bigger than the goblins he had seen at Gringotts. James also recognised Professor McGonagall, who was sitting at the head of the table, stern faced as ever, she gave James a little wink. On her left, was Hermione, who was wearing an elegant set of emerald robes, and a matching hat on top of her bushy hair, she also smiled at James, albeit shakily.

"Scamander, Lorcan!"

A small boy with dish-water blonde hair stepped forwards, James recognised him as the one who had shouted about Nargles on the way to the castle. He became a Ravenclaw.

"Scamander, Lysander!"

The twin of Lorcan got up, and James became unsure as to which of them was which, Lysander became a Gryffindor, unlike his twin. He gave Lorcan a sad smile, before joining them at the Gryffindor table. And the names continued…

And now there were only five left to be sorted, "Pye, Rachael!" became a Ravenclaw and "Riddle, Jack!" became a Slytherin, much to the alarm of many staff members.

"Watt, Chloe," also became a Slytherin, which left two red headed people left at the front.

"Weasley, Frederick!"

Fred stepped forwards boldly, and instantly became a Gryffindor, as expected. He joined the rest of them at the table, receiving a pat on the back from a tall girl with long black hair, "Nice one, Freddie!"

"Weasley, Molly!"

The red-headed girl took a seat, and became a Ravenclaw. James guessed that she was a further cousin whom he had not yet heard of. Professor Longbottom picked up the stool, and took it, along with the hat, away. At that moment, Professor McGonagall stood up.

"Good evening, everyone," she said, and a tiny smile crept onto her face, "I will make my speech short and sweet. Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts, may it be as good as the last for the returnees, and the best of your lives for our new students. Let the feast, begin!"

She clapped her hands together, and at once the gold plates were filled with every food imaginable. There was roast beef, roast chicken, crispy potatoes, curry, chips, Yorkshire puddings, peas, gravy and, for no clear reason, a bowl of sherbet lemons. At the Dursleys James would have been lucky to get one of these meals in an evening, Aunt Carol was something of a health freak. He piled his plate high with everything but the sherbets, and dug in.

"Mmm, that does look delicious," said the ghost with the ruffles, who had appeared out of the table.

"Can you not-?"

"No, dear boy, I haven't eaten in nearly five-hundred years!" said the ghost, "You do remind me of your father. I presume you are the son of Harry Potter?"

"Yeah, I am," James said grudgingly, he was apparently now attracting the attention of several people around him.

"But the Potters all died," said Lysander, dreamily, "My mum was friends with them at school."

"If I was dead, would I be here right now?" James asked him.

"I'm dead," said the ghost with the ruffles, "and I'm still here."

"But you don't count, Nick," said the dark-haired girl who had patted Fred on the back, "You're a ghost!"

Nick looked offended, so swooped off to the other end of the table to talk to other students.

"He can get like that sometimes," said the dark-haired girl, "Roxanne Weasley. Fred's sister."

James had to admit that Roxanne looked about as much like Fred as he did Scorpius Malfoy. She was tall and had olive toned skin, and sleek black hair. It was quite a contrast to Fred's red hair and freckles.

"I know," Fred said, as though he read James' mind, "I look nothing like her."

"Yeah-"

"I got mum's genes," said Roxanne, "Fred got the Weasley genes. Lucky for you that you didn't," she added to James, "You're just like your dad."

"You met him?" James asked.

"When I was little," she said, "I can remember you coming over at Christmas. I was only four."

James smiled happily, it made him feel warm inside to think of a family Christmas with the Weasleys. His mum holding him tightly as they sat by the fire, his dad telling bad jokes… but he also felt empty, as he would never have such a Christmas again.

"I never believed you were dead," she said, catching James' attention again, "I always thought that you had gone missing… I mean, how else was You-Know-Who defeated?"

"What?" asked James, "You mean, I _defeated_ Triste?"

"Must have done," said Roxanne, tucking into some roast potatoes, "Cool scar, by the way."

James grinned at her again, he had to admit that Roxanne was so far, apart from Fred, his favourite family member. It felt so odd to say… family member… he had never had one before, let alone enough to choose favourites. James felt a full and warm feeling that had nothing to do with the food.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, they plate were cleared, and replaced with puddings. There were trifles, éclairs, jellies, mousses, cakes, strawberries and cream… James took a bit of everything, determined not to miss out as the conversation turned to the non-Weasley members of Gryffindor.

"Me dad was in Gryffindor too ye know," Kerry Finnegan said, with a heavy Irish accent, "Me mam's a muggle, didn't know 'bout magic 'til after they were married. Family tradition apparently." he turned to James, "I can't believe it! honest I can't, James Potter alive! Just wait 'til dad hears of this."

"It'll be headline news," said Lorrie Peakes, a girl in James' year, "My mum works for the Prophet."

Rose gave her a dirty look when she mentioned the newspaper name. It was quite clear that she inherited her mum's prejudice. She was talking to an older boy who James didn't recognise, with sandy brown hair and green eyes. The conversation had turned to Cygnus now.

"-mum's a witch, she was at Hogwarts too. So was my dad, but he died when I was younger," Cygnus was saying, "My grandma was a muggle who married a wizard called Black in the 70's. He went missing in the 80's after having my mum. We live in a muggle community."

"Yeah, Cygnus and I were at school together," James said proudly, chucking a spoon at Cygnus, "We're _beeessssttt _friends!"

Several girls sitting nearby giggled at this. It seemed they had already taken a fancy to the duo. At last, the deserts disappeared also, and Professor McGonagall got to her feet. The hall fell silent.

"Just a few notices before you all go up to bed," she began, "_All_ students should be aware that the Forbidden Forest is just that, Forbidden. Anyone who enters will be punished. Please also see Mr. Filch, the caretaker, for a list of Forbidden Items, now including all Weasley products-" she added, looking in the direction of Fred and Roxanne, "It is also my great pleasure to welcome Professor Granger to our staff, she will be teaching Transfiguration, taking over from Professor Stubbs, who managed to transfigure her own arm into a grand piano," there were several sniggers from around the hall, "I would also like to welcome James Potter to school," the hall fell silent, and James could feel himself becoming very red, as every eye in the hall fell upon him, "and it is a pleasure to see that he is not as dead as we had once believed," she smiled at James, "Now, off to bed!"

The Gryffindor first years followed a further Weasley cousin, Louis, through the crowds of chattering pupils, and up the marble staircase, past the war memorial. James' legs felt like led because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy and deep in conversation with Cygnus to notice that the portraits hanging on the walls were moving, or that they were staring at him. They climbed staircase after staircase, but still seemed no closer to the Gryffindor common room.

Then, suddenly, they came to a halt. They were at the end of a corridor, and on the wall in front of them was a portrait of a fat woman in a pink silky dress.

"Password?" she said.

"Agapanthus," replied Louis, and the portrait swung open to reveal a round, hole in the wall. The first years clambered through it- both Cygnus and James tripped over- and found themselves in a very cosy looking room. The Gryffindor common room was warm and full of squashy armchairs, it was about the most homely place James had ever visited.

Louis directed the boys to the staircase which led to the right, and the girls to that on the left. James, Fred and Cygnus said a quick goodnight to Rose, before making their way up their staircase to their dorm. The staircase was a spiral, obviously they were in one of the many towers. At the top they found a door, behind which was a circular room with five large four-poster beds in it, each hung with red and gold drapes. Their trunks were waiting for them along with new robes, stitched with the Gryffindor emblem and colours.

There was also a note from Professor Granger, explaining to James that Luna had been put in the owlery, and that she was available to talk any time. James had a feeling he might take her up on her offer. They changed into their pyjamas, and clambered into their beds.

"Good to be here, isn't it mate?" said Cygnus from the bed next to him.

"Yeah," James replied tiredly as he drifted into a comforting deep sleep, "It is."

* * *

really long chapter this time, so hope it is appriciated! i know this chapter was INSANELY similar to that in Harry Potter, but i needed to introduce James and pals to the school... so

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	11. Chapter 10 : The Flying Race

Hogwarts must have been the most confusing place James had ever been in his entire life, compared to this, the maze at Thorpe Park was nothing. There were over 300 staircases, according to Rose, and several walls had chunks missing, which, if you walked through them, took you to an empty room, where you had to plead with the most unkind and unhelpful caretaker, Mr. Filch- who must be over one hundred years old- to let you out. Filch had taken a severe disliking to the four Gryffindors already, grumbling as he opened the locked door to let them into another corridor.

It was utterly bizarre. The portraits and ghosts were not much help either, especially one of a Knight they had encountered 10 minutes previously, he was intent on challenging them to duels. They were sure they would never be 'calling on Sir Cadogan' unless, as Fred had wisely put it, they needed someone mental.

It seemed that James' arrival at the school had not sunk in any more than it had the previous night, as hundreds of faces turned to stare at him as he and Cygnus walked down the long table to where the rest of their year were sitting. Even the Gryffindors, who James had counted on to not stare at him, seemed to gasp in awe as he passed, as though he was a circus spectacle. It was rather alarming.

"Morning," Fred yawned as they took their places at the table.

"Get lost already?" Lysander asked, giggling into her cornflakes, "Trust you four!"

"You have no right to say 'trust you four'!" Cygnus said indignantly, "You've known us for all of a day!"

"You're the type though," Lysander sighed, pulling something from his bag, "Here are your timetables, Professor Longbottom handed them out earlier. First lesson's in 10 minutes."

James sat down, and grabbed a piece of toast. He could tell his first week was going to be a long one. First lesson was History of Magic, easily the most boring hour James had ever endured in his life. The ghost teacher- Professor Binns- was not only boring, but also unresponsive and forgetful. Apparently he had been a teacher when he was alive, and then one day he got up for work and was dead. James couldn't understand why they hadn't just got a replacement for him, he could tell the most they would learn was how to chuck pieces of parchment at him, which they did successfully- 50 points if you get it through his head. Rose was most disapproving, as it seemed she was the only person in the class who was taking notes on Emeric the Evil and Adalbert the Addled.

Next they had Potions, which was taught by Professor Malfoy. It seemed she had also taken a disliking to not only James, but also Rose and Fred. Everyone in the class, even the Slytherins, found it odd when she took away points from Gryffindor- even if she was Head of Slytherin- when Rose answered a question correctly, and when James stuck up for her. Although Potions was more interesting then History of Magic, and he was good at it, James could tell he was going to like it the least.

The Charms teacher, Professor Flitwick, was different again. He was the tiny wizard who James had seen at the table at the feast on his first night. He was very giggle, and took it upon himself to fall off his pile of books as many times in a lesson as he could, most notably whenever James or Cygnus' names where said. Apparently Cygnus' likeness to the rest of the Black family had not gone unnoticed.

"Where?"

"There! That way!"

"I think we're lost…"

"I could never get us lost!"

"What about that time when you-"

"Fine, I got us lost once."

"This makes twice."

"Shut-up scar face!"

James and Cygnus got lost the second they left the Great Hall after lunch They had at first tried to follow the line of students in front of them, only to discover they were on their way to extra potions lessons, meaning they weren't heading Herbology at all. The two boys soon found themselves down a deserted corridor, on what had to be the seventh floor. Judging by the number of staircases that they had climbed, corridors they had crossed, and false doors they had walked into only to discover they were more staircases, they must have been miles from the greenhouses.

"Why don't we call for help?" James suggested.

"Blacks don't call for help!" scoffed Cygnus, "We stand up in the face of danger!"

"The only Black you know, apart from yourself, is your mum," laughed James, "and I think she'd run in the face of danger."

"Watch what you say about my mum."

"Ooh, touchy?"

"Shut-up!" repeated Cygnus, as they continued down the deserted corridor in search their lesson, only to find it led to a dead-end. The boys turned back in the other direction. James was close to giving up and jumping through another hole in the wall when-

"We haven't seen you two in a long time!" said a high voice from behind them, making the two boys jump several feet in the air, "Camilla, look! Its those lovely boys!"

"Ooh, yes!" said another voice, James and Cygnus turned around to see a portrait of two flower girls, each with ribbons in their hair, "We haven't seen you in so long! Why do you not come and visit us?"

James was downright bewildered by these girls, whom he had never seen before, "Its our first day," James said nervously, "We're a bit lost to tell you the truth."

The girls giggled uncontrollably, "You were always the funny one," said the first girl again, "You would talk to us for hours."

"I have no idea what you're on about," said Cygnus, "Look, can you girls just tell us which way the greenhouses are?"

"Potter and Black lost?" said the girl, causing the boys to jump again, "But you know the school better than anyone?"

"Would we be here right now if we did?" James asked the girl, who scoffed at him.

"Can you please just tell us the way to breakfast?" Cygnus said again. The girls sighed, and gave them directions, and before they knew it they were outside the greenhouses, 10 minutes late. They pushed open the rusty door-

"Ah, Potter and Black," sneered Professor Longbottom, is face quite unlike how it had been the night before, "Trust _you two_ to be late for the first lesson. Just because of your celebrity Potter, does not excuse you from Herbology. Take the bench at the back and turn to page 10 of your textbooks."

"Sorry sir," said James, "We got lost."

"Lost?" said Professor Longbottom, "Oh! You go lost, did you Potter? Well, I'm sure half the class got lost on their way here, but they didn't turn up 10 minutes LATE! 20 points from Gryffindor-"

"But sir!" protested Cygnus.

"-each," their Professor added with a snide laugh, "Take your seats boys."

James now knew he was going to like Herbology the least of all his lessons. Even Potions. By the end of the lesson Professor Longbottom had taken points from Fred, Rose, James, Cygnus, Lysander and 3 Hufflepuffs James didn't know. It was ridiculous that their Herbology Professor had taken so many points from his own house! He really did hate this year's Gryffindors…

On Thursday morning the four Gryffindors managed to find first lesson without getting lost for the first time that week. It was Transfiguration, which was taught by Professor Granger, Rose's mum. James had been looking forward to this lesson since he had arrived at school, as he knew Hermione had been a friend of his parent's at school. He thought Professor Longbottom had been too… maybe not as good friends as he thought.

"Good morning class!" said Professor Granger brightly, "I'm here to teach you Transfiguration. Now, I don't expect you all to understand it, but we'll do what we can!"

She began to take a register, and, as many other teachers had done, she first paused at Cygnus' name, and at James too. Only this time, her voice faltered slightly. She looked on the verge of tears.

"Today class, we will be turning match-sticks into needles," she said, "Its what I did in my first Transfiguration lesson, not too difficult!"

She handed out the match-sticks and gave a demonstration on how to perform the spell. By the end of the lesson only Rose had managed to fully transfigure her needle, although James and Cygnus' were silver, and Fred's was pointy. She awarded them each 10 points to Gryffindor, James thought she would make a much nicer head of house than Longbottom.

"Now, if James Potter, Cygnus Black, Fred Weasley and Rose Granger could stay behind for a moment after the lesson," she said, as the students filed from the room, "Class dismissed!"

James trudged to the front of the classroom with Rose, Fred and Cygnus, he was not altogether pleased with the idea of spending too much time with Professor Granger. It might make him upset.

"How's your first week going?" she asked Rose kindly, giving her a quick hug.

"Fine thanks mum," she said happily, "Can we please go to break now?"

"Fine, you're dismissed," Professor Granger sighed, and they turned to leave, "Not you James, I would like a word please."

Cygnus turned to wait for him.

"Go mate, I'll catch up with you," James said quickly, walking up to the Professor's desk. As soon as the other three had left the room, Professor Granger began to cry.

"Oh-James-I-thought-you-were-dead!" she cried, pulling him in and giving him a warm hug, he felt a little uncomfortable.

"Well," he said shyly, "I wasn't…"

"You're so like Harry," she sniffed, "I miss him. He was my best friend."

"I know," James replied awkwardly, and his Professor looked startled.

"You know?"

"Yeah, my uncle gave me some photos and-"

"Your uncle?" asked Professor Granger sceptically, "You don't live with Vernon and Petunia do you?"

"God no!" James said laughing, "They hate me! I live with Dudley and Aunt Carol."

"And Dudley's nice to you?" she asked him worriedly, "Only he wasn't very nice to Harry."

"I hardly see him to be honest with you," said James, "I spend the holidays at Cygnus' house."

"You knew Cygnus before Hogwarts?" Professor Granger asked again, "So he's muggle born?"

"No," said James, "He's pure blood. His mum was at Hogwarts too. I think she was a few years above you? Ravenclaw."

"Don't remember her," said Professor Granger quietly, "So his father's name was Black?"

"No, his mother's!" said James snappily, "Her father was called Black too."

Professor Granger turned white as a sheet, "Does Cygnus ever see his Grandfather?"

"Nope," said James, "He died a few years after Andromeda, Cygnus's mum, was born."

"Andromeda?" Professor Granger asked, turning white as a sheet, "Cygnus' mother is called Andromeda Black?"

"Yeah," said James, as though it was obvious, "Named after some favourite cousin or something-"

"James you should go," his Professor said abruptly.

"But-"

"No, I'm your teacher James," she said quickly, ushering him from the classroom, "I'll talk to you soon."

And she slammed the door in his face.

"-and then she just slammed the door in my face!" said James angrily.

"Weird mate," said Cygnus. They were sitting in the dorm with Fred, eating chocolate which Fred's dad had sent to James as an apology for his strange treatment of him on the platform. James understood entirely, if he had come across a dead nephew at Kings Cross station he would have acted just as oddly.

"But she seemed to know about the name Andromeda?" Cygnus asked.

"I know that name!" said Fred excitedly, "Teddy's grandma's called Andromeda! That's where I recognised it!"

"Its that common a name," said James, "Maybe Professor Granger thought they were the same person?"

"Nah," said Fred, "Hermione's too clever for that. Anyway, she knows that Andi's name is 'Tonks' so she wouldn't have got so confused."

"Weird," said Cygnus again, "Maybe she picked up on the Sirius connection?"

"What about the 'Sirius' connection?" Fred asked, "She can't think you're related to him! Black's not that rare!"

"But Sirius Black isn't," said James, "Me and Cygnus have the same middle name." he explained.

"So your name in Cygnus _Sirius_ Black?" Fred asked, looking as though Cygnus was a murderer.

"Yes?" said Cygnus confusedly.

"Sirius Black!" James shouted suddenly, "The photograph!"

"What about him?"

"The picture on the card!"

"What card?"

"The chocolate frog card!"

"What about it?" Fred asked, "Its not that much of a big deal."

"I'd seen him before," said James quickly, "But I couldn't remember where! My photograph!"

"What bloody photograph?" Fred shouted.

James ran to his trunk, and rifled through robes and socks and pants and books until he found the tin brown package his uncle had given him.

"Whats that?"

"Photographs," James replied, "From my parent's school days," he added, seeing his friend's vacant expressions.

"Lets see!" said Fred excitedly, obviously desperate to get the dirt on possible photos of his parents. He grabbed them from James eagerly, and looked at the photo in the kitchen.

"There's my dad!" Fred said proudly, pointing at one of the twins.

"Who's the twin?" James asked.

"My uncle," Fred said sadly, "He died before I was born. Dad was heart broken, apparently he didn't say a word for 6 whole months."

James looked sadly at Fred, before realising that he had been his own uncle too. So many family members had died. James almost felt responsible for it. He scanned the group of people in the photo, until he found the one he was looking for-

"There he is!" James exclaimed, "Sirius Black! We found him!"

"What do you mean _we_?" asked Cygnus, "Me and Fred had no part in it!"

"What ever Cyg, this guy looks just like you!" said Fred, pointing at the man in the photo. It was true. There was an unmistakeable resemblance between the two boys, the floppy hair, thin eyes and high cheekbones. The Sirius Black in the photograph was far more gaunt looking than the one on the Frog card. Perhaps this was after he had been to Azkaban… James' eyes drifted slowly to his parents. Standing there, smiling up at the camera. That was how James would remember them.

Friday morning was the most talked about day of the week, as it boasted the first year's first flying lesson. Cygnus had been raving about it, as had Fred, and what seemed like half the year. James however, along with the muggle-borns, was not so confident. The idea of flying a broomstick was not something he thought would come naturally to him, after all, he was incredibly clumsy.

"-and apparently, your dad made the team after his first flying lesson," Fred was saying over breakfast, "Dead cool, huh?"

"Huh…"James mumbled and ate his cornflakes silently, he was tried of people constantly comparing him to his dad.

-"course, my dad was a beater with Uncle Fred, made the team second year. That would be cool too I suppose, but its apparently really hard to get in." Fred finished.

"I never got a chance to play proper Quidditch," said Cygnus, "But I have my own broom at home and everything. I'm a Chudley Cannon's supporter."

Rose huffed loudly, "My mum hates the Chudley Cannons."

"Your mum seems to hate lots of things," Cygnus said under his breath. James couldn't tell whether or not Rose had heard him, but he suspected she had as she said,

"I'm going lessons. Try not to be late boys."

"Whats got her knickers in a twist?" asked Cygnus, and James raised his eyebrows at him.

"We should get going," said Fred, "I hear Peakes isn't a man to be messed with."

The Gryffindor and Slytherin first years were assembled on the Quidditch pitch. It was a sunny, but breezy morning, and, according to Scorpius Malfoy- an arrogant boy whose mum was a teacher- it was perfect conditions for flying. James had not instantly taken to Scorpius Malfoy, who, it seemed had spent much of his childhood on a broomstick, often narrowly avoiding aeroplanes. He was very small and very pale, with white-blonde hair and cold grey eyes. He had a narrow face and a pointed chin, which emphasised his long nose.

"-sure I'll make the team first year," Scorpius was boasting, "Father thinks that if Harry Potter could do it I can, apparently it was his fault it happened anyway and to be honest I think-"

"No one cares what you think Malfoy," said Fred angrily, he had obviously listened in on their conversation.

"Ooh, temper temper," sneered Scorpius Malfoy, "We all know where that _Weasley_ temper can get you."

Some of the other Slytherins sniggered, and Fred turned a deep shade of maroon.

"Leave him alone," said James.

"Sticking up for Weasley, Potter?" Malfoy scoffed, "If you knew what I did, I don't think you'd be so keen to-"

"Shut up!" shouted Fred, "Just shut up okay!"

Malfoy scoffed again and continued his long winded story about his father's opinion of the Potter family. To be honest, James couldn't care less about what Malfoy and his cronies said about his family, for all he knew they were true. What James didn't like, was the way he talked to Fred, as though he was scum.

"You alright Fred?" Cygnus asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Fred shrugged it off angrily, and stormed to the other side of the pitch to where Lysander was talking to Kerry Finnegan and Miranda Lough, a Gryffindor girl in their year.

"Whats up with him?" James asked Rose, who shrugged awkwardly. She looked as though she was going to say something but was stopped by-

"Good morning everybody!" came the booming voice of a young man with broad shoulder and curly brown hair, he couldn't have been older than thirty. The usual chorus of 'Good Morning Professor Peakes' followed.

"Now, now," their teacher boomed, "None of this 'Professor' nonsense. 'Peakes' or 'Mr. Peakes' will suffice. Now line up in front of these broomsticks," he waved his wand, and twenty brooms appeared on the ground in front of them in a long line, "Excellent. Now, I want you to hold out your right arm, and say 'Up!'"

There was a disjointed chorus of 'Up!', 'Up!', 'UP!'. James was still nervous about flying, but his confidence improved when he saw that even Scorpius Malfoy could not get his broom to leave the ground. He took a deep breath and said in a commanding voice, "UP!"

The effect was instantaneous, and the battered old school broomstick shot into his right hand. Rose and Cygnus looked at him from either side, their eyes wide with amazement.

"How the bloody hell did you do that?" demanded Cygnus, whose broom was hovering somewhere between the ground and his outstretched arm. James merely shrugged.

"Ha!" Peakes cried out, "Potter's done it everyone! Look here!"

He marched to stand by James, who could feel himself turning redder by the moment, and smiled, as every eye on the Quidditch pitch was on him. Peakes clapped James hard on the shoulder, before continuing along the line to hand out words of encouragement to the other first years, many of whom were starting to get their brooms off the ground. Peakes was now showing them how to mount their brooms, teaching them the correct grips and sitting positions. James was delighted when he saw Cygnus being told he'd being doing it wrong for years.

"Shut it, you," he said menacingly, as Peakes told James he was a natural flier.

"Now everyone has mounted their brooms," Peakes boomed over the general chatter, "I want you to steady yourselves, kick off from the ground, and then hover for a few moments before touching back down. Okay?"

There was a general chorus of 'okay' from the first years. James, his confidence high from the teacher's encouragement, kicked off hard from the ground and found himself, like many others, several feet above the ground. Even at this slightly raised height there was a gentle breeze rushing through his hair, and an incredible sense of accomplishment in his stomach. It reminded him of his trip to Go Ape with his Aunt, and that gave him a brilliant idea…

Most of the other first years had already returned to the ground looking rather ill and uncomfortable, only four of them remained in the air, James, Cygnus, Fred and Scorpius Malfoy.

"Time to come down now boys," Peakes said loudly.

"No chance!" laughed James, and Cygnus laughed in agreement. Fred, however, touched down as he ad been asked, keen to stay out of trouble.

"Boys, this really is dangerous," warned Peakes, "I suggest you come down _now_if you will to avoid a detention."

James laughed carelessly at his teacher, and repeated himself, "No chance!" and with that, he and Cygnus nodded to each other, and shot off across the Quidditch pitch. They were flying higher and higher, faster and faster, until the class below them looked like ants. The wind was truly flying through James' messy hair now, and rushing through his ears like cold water. He could hardly hear the cries of his angry teacher and he raced around the skies with his best friend.

"Nice one James mate!" Cygnus called from beside him, "I didn't know you could fly?"

"I can't!" James called back, and Cygnus laughed at him, "I'll race you to that tree?"

He pointed at a huge old willow tree which was standing near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"You're on!" called Cygnus, leaning forward on his broom to go faster, "Three, two, one! GO!"

James shot forwards as fast as he could, the wind was gusting at his face, and the sun blaring into his eyes, making it almost impossible to see. Suddenly, he saw Cygnus falling, limp and lifeless next to the willow tree in front of him. James threw caution to the wind and dived to save his friend, who was falling at an alarming rate. Barely two metres from the ground, James caught him, tumbling from his broomstick and down a tiny hole at the foot of the old tree.

* * *

AGH! what has happened to the two boys?

Sorry i havent updated in ages, but i've been really busy! It was my birthday, and then i went away for easter!


	12. Chapter 11 : The Whomping Willow

Chapter 11-

Cygnus coughed loudly and gazed maniacally around him, "Where the bloody hell are we!?"

James searched around him too, and soon saw that they were in a very dark, very dirty tunnel. They must have fallen hard and fast, as they had landed several metres from the entrance to the tunnel, a small opening through which a pool of light shone. In the other direction, there was nothing but blackness.

"I have absolutely no bloody clue," said James, "Why'd you fall?"

"That tree is mental!" exclaimed Cygnus, "It tried to kill me!"

James would have protested had he not been able to hear the tree thrashing around above him, "I can hear that."

"Well, shall we go?" Cygnus asked, standing up his head nearly touched the roof of the tunnel. James could tell his head would touch it, and he would have to stoop.

"And face the wrath of Peakes?" James said, "I'll say for what seems the millionth time, No Chance!"

"So what," laughed Cygnus, "You're going to turn caveman and live in the tunnel?"

"NO!" said James, "I'm just saying, maybe we should explore?"

Cygnus seemed to consider the idea for a moment, before drawing his wand and saying confidently, "Lumos!" a bright white light shone from the tip of his wand, and James copied him.

The two boys with their two wand-lights set off down the tunnel in the direction of the darkness. James was stooped a little, as he was slightly taller than Cygnus was, which was increasingly annoying as the tunnel began to wind and rise- they appeared to be coming to some kind of end to it, but where that end led James had no great desire to find out.

"Look!" Cygnus pointed his wand light ahead of him, and James saw what he was pointing at, there was an extremely battered old door. James hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether or not he_ wanted_ to know what was behind the door.

Cygnus pushed past him, "Come on, Jamesie! Live a little!" he pushed open the door, which creaked loudly as it swung. Light flooded the tunnel from a broken window on the other side of what appeared to be a mangy old room. The two boy scrambled through it, all thoughts of detentions behind them, and found themselves in an extremely old creaking house.

"D'you reckon there's someone here?" James whispered, listening to the sounds of the old creaking house.

"Dunno," said Cygnus, "Wanna find out?"

James didn't particularly want to find out if there was an axe murderer living in this house, but for fear of being called a wuss he nodded in agreement. He was sure this would not end well for either of them. They continued deeper into the room, feeling as though they were being watched.

"I'm not sure about- AGH!" James screamed as something huge and orange jumped onto his back, he sighed, "Jesus Marmaduke, you scared me!"

The orange cat purred and hopped off James' shoulder, progressing to Cygnus, who growled loudly at it as though he were a dog, "Don't like cats." he said grumpily.

"Shall we go ba-" James never finished his sentence, as he saw the door to his right creak open a little. A tall witch with bushy brown hair appeared.

"AHH!" she screeched, and turned white as though she had seen a ghost.

"Professor Granger?" Cygnus asked, "Are you alright? You look as though you've seen a ghost!"

"Fine… I'm fine boys… thought I had for a moment…" she said, unruffling her robes, and straightening her hair, "I was looking for Marmaduke, that's all… I saw him heading down this way and- Wait! Shouldn't you be in lessons?"

"Well…" James said awkwardly, "It was flying lessons this morning, and Cygnus and I were having a little too much fun-"

"Let me guess," said Professor Granger kindly, "You decided to have a flying race, flew into the Whomping Willow and ended up down the tunnel. You then decided to explore and found yourselves here? Am I right?"

"Pretty much Professor," said Cygnus, "Although there was a moment when James considered making that tunnel his permanent residence!"

James scowled at him, "Are you not going to punish us Professor?"

"Of course not…" she said kindly, "It's a miracle you boys weren't hurt! How on earth did that happen?"

"James caught me," Cygnus said proudly, as James blushed profusely, "Did a proper dive and everything!"

"And this was your first time on a broomstick James?" she asked, he nodded at her awkwardly, "Merlin, you are so like your father," she sighed, "Look like him too, only you have your mothers eyes," she chuckled in spite of herself, "I mean… that's why I screamed, I thought… never mind! We should get you both back up to school!"

James and Cygnus exchanged glances, knowing that school meant detention for disobeying teacher's orders and being off the grounds. This was not an altogether appealing thought for either of them. If only Professor Granger could vouch for them, and say that she had given them permission to fly recklessly. James somehow doubted that she would do that. They were now at least halfway down the dark tunnel again, Marmaduke and Professor Granger at the head of the party, James and Cygnus bringing up the rear.

"You said the tree was called the Whomping Willow?" said Cygnus, "Is that the actual name for it, or what?"

"What? Oh yes… the tree is called the Whomping Willow, because, well, it Whomps you!" said Professor Granger, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," said Cygnus, but he said it in a way that meant there was a serious reason behind it. James almost wished that Cygnus would leave them alone, so he could talk to his Professor about his parents, as it was clear that she had known them well. Maybe she could get him out of detention because of that… James doubted that would happen either.

When the party of four arrived at the exit to the tunnel, Marmaduke prodded a knot on the tree, and it instantly stopped moving, making it safe for them to exit. Professor Granger climbed out first, the two boys following, they were met by an angry screech.

"BLACK! POTTER! Get away from the Whomping Willow now!" their headmistress was standing not 10 feet away from them, "That is one sentence I wished I would never have to say again."

"Sorry Professor," said Professor Granger timidly, "I found the boys in the Shrieking Shack."

"And what were _you_ doing in the Shrieking Shack, Miss. Granger?" said McGonagall angrily, as though the Professor was a naughty schoolgirl.

"Looking for my daughter's cat," replied Professor Granger, "The boys came in by accident, Cygnus had an accident with the tree."

"I know," said McGonagall sternly, "I saw it happen from my office window. I must say Potter performed an excellent manoeuvre in order to save his friend. But I must ask, why were you flying into the Willow anyway?"

"I can answer that!" a voice boomed from behind them, Peakes had arrived. The boys gulped, "They were supposed to be having a flying lesson at the time. Turned into a flying race into the most dangerous tree at school!"

"Hmm," McGonagall pursed her lips, "Perhaps I should invite the boys to my study for a moment. Granger, Peakes, follow after them please."

She marched off across the grounds, James, Cygnus, Peakes and Professor Granger behind her, all unsure of their fates. James thought he and Cygnus would probably be expelled after pulling a stunt like this. It was dangerous, stupid, and broke about 20 different school rules. Professor Granger seemed to notice his anxiety, as she sped up to talk to him.

"Don't worry James," she whispered, "She won't expel you. If I were her I'd give you at detention at most."

James smiled gratefully at her, but he was sure they were just empty words. It took far more time than he expected to get to the headmistress's office. James' feet seemed to drag along the ground and each step seemed to take hours. He knew this was it. He was going back to live with the dreadful Dursleys, after one short week as a wizard it would be taken away from him… maybe he could live with Professor Granger! Or one of his new family members. They probably wouldn't want a useless non-wizard boy living with them though…

They came to a stone gargoyle up one of the many flights of stairs in the Hogwarts castle. McGonagall said, "Tortoiseshell." and the gargoyle moved aside to reveal a revolving set of stairs. James stood on them, and they took them up the a wooden door. McGonagall opened it to reveal a circular room, filled with odd trinkets and covered in old portraits of men and women. They were moving and talking like the others in te castle.

"What have these two done?" said a particularly cruel looking portrait, the man was very pale, with a long nose and greasy black hair, "Not Potter and Black surely?"

"BLACK!?" exclaimed another portrait, "But there are no Blacks left!"

"Is that Harry Potter?" asked another.

"No, its his son, James," said another.

"I thought his father was James," said another. It was getting very boring.

"ENOUGH!" said McGonagall angrily, "These boys are here due to a violation of school laws during a flying lesson."

"Ha!" exclaimed the greasy haired man again, "Trust _Potter_ to get in trouble over Quidditch!"

"Now now Severus," said a white-haired old wizard with a long wispy beard, "Let us not judge the poor child."

"Enough, please," said McGonagall sternly, and the portraits fell silent, "Boys, I have decided to give you each detention with Professor Granger. You will go to her office at eight o'clock on Saturday night. Do you understand?" the boys nodded gravely, thank god they weren't being expelled, "I have also decided to bend a rule in your favour," she continued, "Only twice in my life have I seen flying skills such as those performed, once by your father, James, and once, by your grandfather. I have decided to give you an opportunity to try out for your house Quidditch teams. _This does not guarantee you a place_." she added.

"Ha!" said Severus again, "I should like to see those boys get onto the Quidditch team. Horrible, squitty little things-"

"Yeah," said Cygnus angrily, "Well, I'd like to see you wash your hair _Severus_."

"Black!" said McGonagall angrily, "That is no way to talk to a former headmaster of Hogwarts!"

"Don't worry Professor," said Severus dryly, "The Black family have ways of punishing themselves."

"What is that supposed to-"

"Now now boys," said Professor Granger kindly, "You have lessons to attend!"

She chaperoned the boys fiercely from the office and back down the stone staircase, along the corridor, down one of the many moving staircases, and through several other corridors until they found themselves by the entrance to the Great Hall. They were standing just behind the war memorial.

"Do you know what this memorial is for boys?" Professor Granger asked kindly, they shook their heads, "There was a battle at Hogwarts, and many people died-"

"Who are the people on the memorial?" James blurted out, suddenly unable to control himself.

"James, trust you," she chuckled happily, "They are you father, and Lord Voldemort. It depicts the latter's defeat," she sighed, "and we thought that was the end… now boys, best be off to lunch. don't forget, tomorrow at 8 o'clock."

James smiled at her before joining Cygnus in running into the great hall for lunch. They were met by staring eyes and wide mouths, apparently nothing could stay secret for long at Hogwarts. They took their usual places at the Gryffindor table with Rose and Fred, who appeared to have forgiven them.

"Where have you been?" Rose hissed angrily, "You should hear the stories people are telling!"

"What are they?" asked James.

"That you flew into the Whomping Willow," said Rose angrily, "You _didn't_!?" she added, noticing their smug expressions.

"We did," said Cygnus, "Well, I did. James saved me, did a wicked dive."

"How were you not hurt!"

"Dunno," said James, "We saw your mum, Rose, she found Marmaduke."

"Oh thank goodness," sighed Rose, "But don't change the subject in future James, you're terrible at it. What happened?"

So James and Cygnus launched into an elaborate story of their adventure, which seemed to involve far more near-death experiences than in true life. The others laughed and looked shocked at appropriate times, and James gained the suspicion that more people were listening than he would have wanted.

"- and then, get this," Cygnus finished, "We were given a chance to try out for the house team!"

"No way!" exclaimed Fred.

"But that's so irresponsible of McGonagall," said Rose huffily, "Rewarding rule-breaking!"

"Oh lighten up Rose," said James, "We might get to play Quidditch!"

"I'm going to tell mum," said Cygnus, "Come to the owlery with me Jamesie?"

"Nah mate," said James, "Defence is next, don't want to be late."

*

James suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, and turned around to see Malfoy standing smugly behind him.

"So Potter, Black," he said snidely, "When are you going home from school?"

"At Christmas," replied Cygnus, "Why? Did you get expelled Malfoy? Wondering if you could share a compartment with us on the train home?"

"Well- I… I'd watch my back if I were you," stuttered Malfoy.

"Or you'll do what," said James arrogantly, "Stutter at us?"

"Shut up Potter," said Malfoy, and he stormed off to the back of the classroom to sit with his Slytherin cronies.

"I wish you wouldn't do that!" said Rose angrily.

"Do what?"

"Make enemies," said Rose, "For all you know Scorpius could be a perfectly nice person and-"

"_A nice person_?" Fred interjected, "Malfoy's parents are muggle-hating ex-Death Eaters!"

"What are Death Eaters," asked Cygnus, "I've heard of them only-"

"_They were the supporters of Voldemort_," whispered Rose, "_People say You-Know-Who_-"

"You mean Triste?" added James.

"_-Yes her,_" Rose continued in a low whisper, _"They say- Triste-_," she shivered a little_, "Was a Death Eater before she became, you know, truly evil_."

"So what does this have to do with Malfoy?" asked James.

"Everything, mate," said Fred knowingly, and James needed no more questions answered. He continued to copy down about Disarming spells, and thought about what Malfoy could be. His parents were part of the reason why James' parents were dead. Malfoy's family had supported the woman who brought about their deaths- the woman who had tried to kill him. James' previously petty hatred of Scorpius Malfoy had suddenly become far less trivial.

The bell sounded for the end of the lesson, and the first years filed out slowly. They got Friday afternoons off after first lesson, so the four Gryffindor friends went back to the common room after defence. It was odd that they had become so friendly in such a short space of time. When they arrived at the common room, James and Cygnus were met by the beaming face of Teddy Lupin, turquoise hair and all.

"Good first week boys?"

"Yeah, good thanks," said James, "Teddy this is Cygnus Black."

"Yeah I know," said Teddy, "McGonagall pointed him out to me. I'm related to the Blacks myself, so if you're a full wizard you could a cousin. Shame really. Scorpius Malfoy is also my cousin."

"Poor you," said Cygnus, "He really is dreadful."

"Yes, isn't he," said Teddy distractedly, "Look boys, I'm the Quidditch captain for Gryffindor, McGonagall told me about you guys trying out. The try outs are next Thursday, I'll put a notice up over the weekend." he clapped James hard on the shoulder, "I'll catch up with you later mates."

He headed over to the other side of the common room where Victoire Weasley, another of James' cousins was sitting. She was Louis's sister, and had long blonde hair, apparently it was her mother's. Teddy had been looking at her fondly all week, and James suspected that there was something going on there.

"Come on Jamesie Wames," said Cygnus happily, "The world is our Oyster, what you wanna do?"

"Explore," replied James happily.

*

It was after supper when James and Cygnus finally managed to get free of everyone long enough to plan their exploration adventure. Rose went to bed early, and it was nearly midnight by the time Fred's steady snores echoed around the small dorm room. The boys pulled on their dressing gowns and slippers, as well as picking up their wands from their bedside tables, and tiptoed from the dorm room, not making a sound.

The common room was empty apart from Marmaduke the cat, was who sleeping by the fire. It was very dark, so the boys lit their wands and continued out of the portrait hole. The fat lady in the portrait was snoring loudly, and wasn't woken by the boys making her swing open. A silver ghost was gliding past them, her long her floating eerily behind her. The portrait hole closed slowly, taking much longer than the boys expected.

"Shall we go?" whispered Cygnus, and James nodded, setting off down the long marble stairs past snoozing portraits. They made their way along dark corridors, occasionally asking portraits for directions, and avoiding the ones who could have been Sir Cadogan.

Suddenly, James heard something- voices? Maybe the ghosts were talking to one another, but he thought he could also hear footsteps. He pulled Cygnus in the direction of te voices, and as he drew closer, he noticed a light brighter than could be produced by any ghost.

"What-?"

"Shhhh!" said James, hiding behind a suit of armour as peering round the corner to see to figures, definitely human figures, deep in what seemed to be angry conversation.

"-he had his own family!" said the first, slightly shorter figure. It was a woman's voice.

"I was fully aware of that fact, Miss. Granger, do not insult my authority as headmistress!" said the second, older one. _McGonagall and __Granger_? Cygnus mouthed at him, and James nodded.

"I just think, _Professor_, you took your authority too far!" said Granger, "You're not Dumbledore!"

"I know that I am not Dumbledore, Miss. Granger," said McGonagall angrily, "However he agreed with my decision fully."

"He's a bloody portrait Minerva!" Professor Granger suddenly shrieked, "He may have been the most brilliant wizard of his day in his time, but he's dead! It was fine with Harry- well not fine, but the only option with Sirius being in prison- but he had no other options! You had options, Minerva! James had- no, has- an entire family who had thought him _dead_ for ten years, how do you think _we _feel!"

"I was not aware that you, Miss. Granger, were part of James' family," said McGonagall.

"You know full well that I am," said Professor Granger, "And I'm going to write to Molly about this. And I swear to Merlin that she will do everything in her power to get him back from those people."

They heard footsteps walking angrily away from the scene. James peered out from behind the statue to see the angrily witch a few paces away from where he and Cygnus were standing.

"Hermione, wait!" called McGonagall, and Professor Granger stopped straight in front of the suit of armour behind which the boys were hiding. James took a deep breath, a held himself close to the wall so as not to be seen, not for fear of getting caught, but for fear of them finding out he had listened to their conversation- a conversation about him.

"I thought I had nothing more to say to you," said Professor Granger curtly.

"I wanted to explain _why_ he had to go there," said McGonagall, she was barely three feet away from James and Cygnus, "Don't you remember why Harry had to live with the muggles? Because Lily died to save him-"

"But it was _Ginny _who died to save James, not his dead grandmother!" said Hermione indignantly, "Unless- oh Harry!" she sighed suddenly.

"You always were very bright, Miss Granger," said McGonagall, "I take it you have drawn the conclusion that it was his father, and not his mother who died so James could live?"

"So he had to live with the Dursleys, because of blood protection?" Professor Granger asked quietly, "But now he's older, can he- I mean, will you let him leave?"

"Perhaps," McGonagall said distantly, walking off in the other direction, "Goodnight, Hermione."

Hermione stood still for a moment, her eyes focussed on some distant point, before she too left the boy's sight.

* * *

what do ya think? good, bad? i'm starting to sort out the plot a little more so..... there might be a new chapter quite soon :D

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	13. Chapter 12 : The Black Stone

Chapter 12-

James' mind was buzzing with information, and to be honest he didn't quite know what to do with it. It had taken him hours to get to sleep the night before- he and Cygnus had headed straight back to the common room after overhearing the conversation, finding a new secret passageway along the way. The words of Professors Granger and McGonagall were floating around his head like irritating flies, stopping his mind from resting… _his father died so James could live_… he must have really loved him… _family thought him dead for ten years, how do you think we feel_… what did that mean? was Professor Granger part of his family? He couldn't see how, after all, she wasn't married, and his father hadn't been her brother… _will you let him leave now_…_perhaps_… was he finally going to leave the Dursleys? They had never been truly cruel to him, but he had always wished of a real family, one who loved him… who was Molly? Some particularly ferocious dog?

"Jaaayyy-ammmes!"

"Jaaayyy-ammmes!"

"JAMES!"

"Huh!?" James looked up blearily from his exceptionally boring Potions essay on Bezoars to see Cygnus grimacing down at him.

"Detention in 10 minutes, you prat," he said angrily, hitting James on the back of the head with a book, "Get your lazy arse up!"

James packed his things away into his bag as he muttered to himself groggily. He had spent the entire day catching up on homework which he had not done the previous week. Of course Rose had been a huge help, she had pretty much done his foot-long Transfiguration essay for him, and his Charms homework wouldn't be the same without her. The fact that Fred was ill didn't help, he had been sent to the hospital wing that morning for no real reason. But he somehow felt he could have put his time to better use- for example, researching about Sirius Black- James seemed far keener to discover more about him than any of the other Gryffindors, Cygnus especially, who would groan and look away at the mention of him- Perhaps he knew something James didn't?

He was not looking forward to his detention with Professor Granger, especially not after what he had overheard last night. He felt sure that he would be unable to contain himself, and ask her awkward questions she wouldn't be able to answer. However, he needn't have worried, as when they arrived at the Transfiguration classroom, they found not Professor Granger, but a giant man with a black beard.

"Good evenin', I'm Professor Hagrid an'-" the great man stopped dead, and stared open mouthed at James and Cygnus, "Blimey! Has anyone ever told yer that yer look just like James?"

"I am James," said James confusedly.

Hagrid laughed a deep laugh, "Talk like 'im too mind! This must be young Mr. Black! Bloomin' heck, yer look familiar too!"

"Well, same to you," Cygnus said uneasily, "Where's Professor Granger?"

"Called away on urgent business, I'm afraid," he said gruffly, there was a hint of dishonesty in his tone, "But don' worry, I've got a treat fer yer this evenin'! We'll be collectin' Bowtruckles fer me fifth year class."

"Where do you find Bowtruckles?" James asked uneasily.

"The forest o' course!" Hagrid said excitedly, "Don' worry, I know it like the back of me hand." he added, noticing the boys very worried expressions.

They set off from the Transfiguration classroom through the ever-more familiar castle. They came to the grounds, where it was cold and slightly misty. The moon was full. There was an eerie light on the black lake, which made it ripple peculiarly, James could have sworn he could see something massive in the water beneath it. James had heard rumours of a giant squid- he would have to investigate when the time came.

"I thought the forest was Forbidden," said Cygnus as they approached the great black mass of trees.

"Oh, it is," said Hagrid with a little chuckle, "'cept from when I'm with yer, tha's fine, 'tis."

James couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. The forest was forbidden for a reason. It was dangerous, he only hoped Hagrid was right. They broke into the dark line of tress, and instantly the light of the bright moon was lost. They were submerged in near total darkness, save the little lamp bobbing in front of Hagrid. The trees were becoming closer and closer together as they penetrated deeper into the dark forest. It was uncannily silent. The only sound was that of the twigs and leaves crunching underfoot, as the path continued to wind through the forest.

"Nearly there now," said Hagrid, as James thought he could see a clearing up ahead, "They like to stay in the open, Bowtruckles. Good way to spot them is a glint- their eyes reflect the light, see."

He pulled a tiny, twig like creature from one of his many pockets, and, sure enough, it's tiny brown eyes were glinting feverishly in the moon light.

"Is that why we came out in the full moon?" James asked, "because the light is better?"

"Catch on fast don' you James," said Hagrid, and James could tell he was smiling under his beard. They came to the clearing, which was large and full of dead leaves and general debris. James did not like the idea of searching around in the mulch, and from one glance at Cygnus, he realised that _he_ didn't much like the idea either.

"Now, they tend to hang around by the ground, so we'll split up around this clearing," said Hagrid, "Call me when yer find one, an' I'll put it in me bag, 'lright?"

James and Cygnus nodded dejectedly, and proceeded to searching for the tiny glints of the Bowtruckles' eyes. It was going to be a long night.

James was practically lying on the ground, digging in the leaves for the tiny, twiggy creatures. He had not yet found a single one. Cygnus had not been much more successful, he had found two in the half hour they had spent so far in the forest. It was bitterly cold, and James began to wish he had brought gloves. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a glint of something caught James' eye. He ran to it, tripped over, and fell flat on his face in front of it.

However, it was certainly not a Bowtruckle. The thing that had caught James' eye was infact a tiny black stone, no bigger than the palm of his hand, which was shining brightly in the light of the full moon. He turned it over in his hand, and found that on one side there was a great crack down the centre, around the edge of which was a strange marking. The marking was a triangle, with a circle in the centre, there had obviously been a straight line in the centre of that, which was where the long crack had formed. James put the odd stone in his pocket, and continued his search for Bowtruckles.

*

It was well past midnight before the boys finally got back to the Gryffindor common room, meaning another night's poor sleep. James had thought that Fred's bed was empty when they got back, but by the time the bright sun of the morning arrived, Fred's gentle snores were echoing around the circular room. They acted as a sort of comfort to the six boys.

The tiny black stone was lying on James' bedside table, next to his glasses, and wand- three possessions he wouldn't want to lose, not including the photographs of his parents of course. The detention had not ended well, as James had not found a single Bowtruckle, too busy thinking about that odd stone. How had it come to be there? What did the marking mean? Was it special, or did it just look more interesting than it was? James needed Rose, she always had answers to difficult questions.

"Come to the Library," he whispered in her ear after breakfast on Sunday morning, "I need your help with something."

She looked slightly affronted, but stood up with him and left the busy common room, much to the aggravation of Fred and Cygnus, who had been in a heated match of Wizard's Chess, a game which James did not understand.

"Why do _*you_ want to go to the Library?" Rose asked as they marched down the corridor, "You _hate_ reading!"

"Not if it's about this, I can tell you," said James, his hand grasped tightly around the black stone in his pocket.

"What is it?"

"Can't tell you here," said James, looking around him, "Too many watchers. I found it on my detention last night."

"So Cygnus knows about it too?"

"No," he replied, "I didn't trust him. He's such a blabber-mouth."

"Hmm," said Rose, "You are being very secretive…"

James pulled her into the library, and straight to a seat in the most secluded corner of it. He took out the black stone, and showed it too her, "This is what I wanted to show you."

"A black stone?" Rose laughed, "I thought you might have found a human head! But this is just a stone!"

"It doesn't feel like just a stone, Rose, or look like one," said James, turning it over to show her the odd triangular markings.

"Whats that?" she asked him.

"That's why I brought you here Rosie," said James, ruffling his hair nervously, "We need to find out."

"I'll help you on two conditions," said Rose, "One, don't ruffle your hair James, you look like a arse. Two, don't, on pain of death, call me Rosie."

"Deal," said James, sitting on his hands to avoid more nervous hair ruffling.

Much of the rest of the day was spent in the library, looking through books on everything from Ancient Runes to Precious Stones, but with no avail. Not one book had anything that resembled the tiny stone, or the markings on it. They were beginning to loose heart as the day began to draw to a close, and the orange sun was setting over the surrounding hills, casting a warm glow over the library.

"I found something out yesterday," James said to Rose as she poured over another ancient book.

"Oh?"

"My dad," James said proudly, "He died to save me. He died so that I could live. I never thought of that before."

Rose gave him an odd look- was it pity? James wasn't sure, "I wish my dad was like that," she said bitterly, "I wish he would stop by once in a while even. He doesn't love me enough," she added tearfully.

"I'm sure he does," James said carefully, "Maybe he's abroad? Or… or in jail, or something. For something he didn't do-"

"Your making it out like my dad was Sirius Black or something," said Rose, giving him a watery smile, "My mum really liked him."

"She knew him?"

"Yeah… I mean, through your dad and everything," said Rose, "They really were best friends those two."

"I know," said James, reaching to his bag for something he had forgotten all about, "Here-" he picked out the photograph of his father, Professor Granger and the unknown red-head and showed it to her, expecting her to smile or laugh. Her reaction was quite unexpected.

"But James!" she said in a harsh whisper, "You do know who that is?" she pointed to the red-head. James shook his head, "That Ron Weasley!"

"_Weasley_!" shouted James, earning a furious look from the elderly librarian, Madam Pince, "You mean, the escaped murderer Ron Weasley was friends with my dad at school?"

"Well, yes," said Rose, "I thought you must have known… but I suppose not- Oh James come back!"

James had stood up angrily and stalked away from her, dragging his bad along the floor behind him. Leaving Rose entirely alone with the crumpled photograph of the three best-friends. Oh how they had lost their ways…

*

"Come on then! Faster!" Teddy called to the circling fliers, "Do you want a place on the team or not!"

It was Thursday, which meant Quidditch tryouts for James and Cygnus- the only first years there. There were players as old as seventh year trying out for the Gryffindor team, but James had an odd confidence in himself which no number of older students could shake off. He was trying out for Chaser, on the recommendation of Teddy, who said he had 'the right speed and agility', and Cygnus for beater as he was, 'small but powerful'. Teddy took it all rather seriously, James thought.

The third lot of fliers to go to the air had just returned to the ground, looking thoroughly downtrodden, wet and windswept. The rain was torrential, bucketing down on top of the tiny shack under which the watchers were sitting. James had a nasty suspicion that he and Cygnus were next up.

"Black, Higgins, Haynes, Potter, Riley, Weasley!" Teddy called, "You're up!"

James noticed that Louis Weasley, his cousin in fifth year, was also trying out for the team- perhaps Quidditch was a family thing? Cygnus and James shared a look of anticipation, before grabbing their horrible old school brooms and mounting them. It was odd for James that his second time ever on a broomstick was during tryouts for his house team- he would need a new broom if he got in certainly. He kicked off the ground, and as instructed, flew around the pitch in formation with the other players.

"Right," said Teddy, "I want Higgins, Potter and Riley to act as chasers, Black and Weasley as Beaters, Haynes can be Keeper. I'm going to release the balls now."

He headed over to the large wooden crate in which the balls had just been locked away. He first chucked the large brown Quaffle into the air- James had been taught the rules by Fred and Rose on Monday evening- followed by the brutal Bludgers. The Golden Snitch was not released, as Teddy was the team's Seeker.

Will Higgins was a strapping blonde boy, a fifth year, with a very nice broomstick. He caught the Quaffle as it was released, and immediately took off towards the posts with it. Soaring to avoid a very well aimed Bludger- in James' opinion- by Cygnus. He passed the Quaffle to Benjamin Riley, a fourth year with curly black hair, who then passed it to James. James tore off towards the posts, dodging a Bludger aimed at him by Louis, and chucked the ball through one of the hoops- Haynes completely missed it.

"Nice one Jamie!" Cygnus called, as he swerved to avoid one of his own Bludgers.

"Yes, well done everyone, good teamwork!" said Teddy happily, "Shall we have a 'score off' between our Chasers then? See who scores the most?"

Cygnus and Louis headed back to the ground, Haynes stayed firmly in front of the goalposts. Higgins was up first, taking the Quaffle and aiming it at the centre post, where it was easily caught by Haynes. This continued until both Higgins and Riley had score four goals apiece- not great for James to live up to, though he had never expected to make it to the team. He took the Quaffle, and aimed it seemingly at the centre post, making a final change for one on the right- one goal scored.

Cygnus was chanting and cheering from the stands below- it was more unnerving than helpful to James, who had now successfully scored three goals… four goals… he took his final shot, and Haynes swerved in the complete wrong direction for the ball- FIVE goals! James couldn't believe it! Apparently neither could Higgins, as he was mouthing off rather unpleasantly as the Gryffindors headed back to the common room after tryouts.

"I'll post a list of the team this evening," Teddy said, as the students headed to their dormitories. James bore a striking resemblance to a drowned mouse. The second the entered to dorm they were bombarded with questions.

"How was it?"

"Did you make the team?"

"How many goals did you score?"

"How many noses did you break!?"

"Did you see and Prattling Nemoroes?"

"Any Whats!?" said James in response to Lysander's rather odd question.

"Prattling Nemoroes!" said Lysander dreamily, "They inhabit broom wood and come out at 50 feet in the air to gauge out the eyes of the flier."

"Cheerful," James put it, going to sit on his bed.

"James scored five goals," said Cygnus, "_Five_!"

"That's good," said Kerry Finnegan, "I bet you'll have made the team James!"

"You should have seen Cygnus," James defended, "He nearly took Will Higgins's head off!"

"You nearly hit Alex Haynes in the face with the Quaffle," said Cygnus, laughing.

"You _actually_ hit Alex Haynes in the face with a Bludger."

"Oh yeah," said Cygnus, smiling, "Good times."

"Do you really think you made the team?" Fred asked worriedly.

"Only one way to find out," said James, heading the dorm door, "Any of you gits coming?"

"Course," said Cygnus, who positively skipped downstairs to the common room, and sure enough, posted on the notice board was the Quidditch Team list:

_GRYFFINDOR QUIDDITCH TEAM_

_After the very recent tryouts, I have made the decision that the following people will play on the team this year:_

_Seeker: Teddy Lupin_

_Keeper: George Wood_

_Beaters: Roxanne Weasley, Cygnus Black_

_Chasers: Alexa Spinnet, Kevin Polack, James Potter_

_If the aforementioned players could please attend practices every Friday afternoon at 4 o'clock, thank you!_

_Teddy Lupin_

"We got in!" Cygnus was saying, clapping James on the back, "We got in!"

But James couldn't really hear him, he was too busy being in shock. Yes, he had thought he had played well, but he was a first year- and there had been many others who had played far better than he had. He almost felt guilty for taking the place away from them. Cygnus was still screaming and shouting, although he had removed himself to jump on the sofa.

"WE GOT IN! WE GOT IN! WE GOT IN!-"

"Whats all this racket about?" Rose had appeared at the bottom of the girl's stairs looking thoroughly annoyed, "I had just settled into my Herbology homework!"

"-WE GOT IN! WE GOT IN!-"

"Oh shut up, Cygnus!" James shouted, and his friend silenced and sat quietly smiling to himself on the sofa.

"I take it the two if you got into the Quidditch team?" Rose asked them, "Well done, both of you."

"Cheers Rose," James smiled at her.

"No problem James-Poo," she said happily, he scowled at the nickname, "I'm off to see mum. Care to join me?"

"But its after hours!" protested Lysander, who was sitting in an armchair a few metres away, "You could get in trouble."

"Not likely," said James and Cygnus at the same time.

"So you'll come with me?" Rose asked, "Mum would be pleased to hear you got into the team."

"Do you really think we'd say no to a bit of after hours wandering Rose?" Cygnus said happily, "Come on, last one to Professor Granger's office is a rotting troll!"

The three of them tore off towards the portrait hole, and clambered out quickly and quietly. The black stone was still in James' jeans pocket, and he stroked in warily as they walked along the dark corridor. Maybe he should ask Professor Granger what it was? She was bound to know- but there was always the worry that she would confiscate it. Maybe he could drop a subtle hint to her… not that subtlety was James' speciality...

* * *

ooh... what is all this with the black stone? Ten brownie points to anyone who guesses what it is!!!

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	14. Chapter 13 : Longbottom's Advice

Chapter 13-

September was swiftly changing to October, yet with no benefit to the Gryffindor students. As the weather became colder, it meant less time spent outside, which, in all, meant more spent doing homework. Another drawback of this wet and windy weather were James and Cygnus' Quidditch practices, which often lasted way after dark, and Fred's ever decreasing health- that boy was always ill! He looked like a ghost, and by the middle of the month had to be removed from school to St. Mungo's- The wizard's hospital- where he returned two days later looking somewhat more- _alive_.

To add to the number of things which were not successful in James' life, he was still no closer to discovering what the tiny black stone was. No library books seemed to keep record of it. And when James scribbled the little triangular symbol on his homework's and all over desks, in the hope that one of his teachers would notice it, all he received were grades and a great black scribble where the marking had been.

"James! James!" he shot up from his homework, it was late, and most of the common room was already at supper. He had promised to wait for Rose until she got back from her mum's office.

"What?" James said angrily, "I've been waiting for you for ages, Rose! I'm bloody starving!"

"Can you not think about food for one second?" Rose said huffily, slamming a tiny, incredibly old book down on the desk in front of him, it was very dirty and peeling in places. James took it in his hands, and noticed that the title was in Runes- neither he nor Rose could read Runes.

"Its in Runes," said James, "What use is that!"

"Its not whats written _in_ the book, its whats been _added_ to the book," Rose said plainly, leafing through the pages of the book, "Lets see… no… I know it's around here somewhere… no….Aha! There look!" she was pointing at something above what appeared to be a title- but James couldn't be sure as he didn't know runes.

"What- OH!" he exclaimed, pulling the stone from his pocket and placing it face up next to the rune on the page- the symbols were identical. The triangle, with a circle in the middle, and a line dissecting the two, "Oh! Rose you are a bloody genius! I could kiss you- but I wont," he added hastily noticing her wary face, "How did you find this?"

"Marmaduke was in mum's office," said Rose happily, "He knocked it over onto this page and I just picked it up! I swear that cat is a bloody mastermind! Now all we need to do is find out what it means."

"Correction Rose," said James, "Now all we need to do is go to supper."

He stood up, shoving his homework and quills into his bag, and nearly skipped towards the door.

"Uh! Boys!"

Next morning James' feeling as elation had not yet departed. He woke early, and saw the orange sun rising above the misty hills beyond the black lake. Fred was still snoring happily- a habit which seemed to have been picked up by several of his other dorm-mates, namely Kerry Finnegan. However James had an unnerving suspicion that he was being watched- he soon realised that it was just Marmaduke, Rose's cat, playing with what looked like one of his socks in the middle of the room- it wasn't a sock though, it looked worryingly similar to James' photographs. He rushed over to the orange cat.

"No! Marmaduke, you idiot cat!" he shouted, trying to pull the photograph over the five students, who he now knew most of, from under the cat's grip. The orange cat sat up quickly, and padded out of the room quietly, leaving James alone once more. The photograph was ruined- the stupid cat had scratched out one of the faces, not that James minded Professor Longbottom's face disappearing, he was not his favourite teacher, after all.

"Morning Jamie," someone, probably Cygnus, yawned from a nearby bed, "Sleep well?"

"Evidently better than you," James commented, Cygnus looked oddly tired.

"Yeah, well that bloody cat was on my bed half the night," he said angrily, "Wouldn't leave, even when I kicked it. I hate cats!"

"I know, Cyggles," said James, grinning, "but that cat it a genius!"

"Why are you suddenly in love with Rose's cat?" another groggy, but laughing voice came from the bed next to them- Fred was awake.

"Because he scratched out Longbottom's face on the photo of my parents," James said happily, "Now I don't have to look at him the whole time."

"I have new found respect for our feline friends everywhere!" said Cygnus

"-'oo nee' 'oo keep 'ome contul o' vat cat o' oors, 'ose!" Cygnus was saying through mouthfuls of bacon.

"I think that was, you need to keep some control of that cat of yours, Rose," James translated, "And cheers for the bacon in my eye Cygnus, just what I needed."

"'orry,"

There was a great sound of flapping wings, and hooting owls, as the post arrived that morning. James hadn't yet received a single letter, but every morning Luna had come to eat some of his toast and say hello. But that morning, something extraordinary happened. There was a great, long package flying in the direction of the Gryffindor table, carried by four barn owls. The package landed on the table, dislodging several bowls of cereal, right in front of James. There was a note on the front:

_**Dear James,**_

_**Don't tell anyone that I ordered you this broom, the other students will not approve I'm sure. I contacted the entire Weasley family to tell them that you were in the Gryffindor team- they're sorry none of them have been in contact yet, a little shell shocked I think. They all chipped in a bit (Your Uncle George especially) and we bought you this broom together- DO NOT OPEN IT AT THE TABLE. Wait until its time to go to lessons, I think you will greatly appreciate it.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Professor H. Granger**_

"What is it?" Fred asked him, and James shoved the note in his face. He squealed, "What are you waiting for? Go outside and open it!"

"Fine…" James stood up, with Rose, Fred and Cygnus as his guard, and walked discreetly from the room, package in tow. When they got outside, James ripped off the brown paper packaging, and what he found amazed him.

"Wow!" said Fred, "That's a Firebolt 320, the newest in the series- meant to be the fastest in the world actually, the English Quidditch team have ordered them for the world cup, actually. Really expensive too. I'm going to kill dad! Buying you a broom and not me-"

James had stopped listening, as Scorpius Malfoy, Marvin Baddock and Jack Riddle appeared around a corner, "A broom, Potter? That's not allowed!"

"Shows what you know, Malfoy," said James angrily, "Me and Cygnus are on the team!"

"No your not!" said Malfoy disbelievingly, "They don't let first years on the team!"

"We've been to practices all month, you prat!" said Cygnus, "Ask Teddy Lupin if you don't believe me!"

"No, I'd rather not," said Malfoy scornfully, "I don't associate with Half-Breeds. You know that, Weasley!"

He sneered at them a bit more before rounding another corner and disappearing from their view. Fred looked highly offended by him.

"Don't listen to Malfoy, Freddie," said Rose, putting a hand on his shoulder, "He's too stupid to be worth it."

Fred shrugged off her hand and set off to Herbology alone. James and Cygnus shared odd looks, there was something going on with Fred…

"No broomsticks in class, Potter," was Longbottom's immediate response as James, Cygnus and Rose entered Greenhouse two for their Herbology lesson, "I suggest you leave it outside."

"But what if it gets stolen, sir?" James asked worriedly.

"Then you can buy yourself another one, I daresay the Potter family is rich enough!"

James was defiantly pleased that Marmaduke had scratched his face off the photograph. He took his usual place at the back, as they began to identify the different sorts of pods on different magical plants.

"The Carenbeam pod can be used to make a deadly poison known as-" the Professor was saying, but James had long since lost interest. The heat inside the greenhouse was infatuating, making his eyelids droop and his mouth open wide in several huge yawns, as were several other class member- Fred for one.

"Perhaps Weasley can tell us the answer?"

"Huh!?"

"I see, 20 points from Gryffindor for not listening, Weasley," said Longbottom curtly.

"But-"

"I could make it 30," said Longbottom warningly.

Then, James had a flourish of inspiration, "Sir?"

"Yes, Potter?" Longbottom said boredly.

"Are you taking points from Fred because his uncle tried to kill you?" there was an intake of breath from around the room, James was not supposed to know that, "Or because you don't like red-heads? Because if that's the case then you should take points from Rose too."

"_How dare you_," Professor Longbottom hissed, "Detention Potter! See me after the lesson!"

"That was bloody brilliant mate," Cygnus whispered in his ear, and Fred gave him an appreciative grin.

At the end of the lesson, James went to the front of the greenhouse to talk with Longbottom- a prospect he was not looking forward to.

"Potter," Longbottom said quietly, "Please explain to me how you found out that piece of information?"

"I read about it in an old newspaper," James lied easily.

"Uh-huh," said Longbottom, placing his short hands together on the desk as if in prayer, "And now explain to me why you thought it would be appropriate to bring such a matter up in class?"

"Because you were being a git to my friend," said James, grinning roguishly at his teacher.

"Potter-I-have-already-given-you-a-detention-do-not-make-me-make-it-worse!" Longbottom said through gritted teeth.

"What would you like me to say, sir?"

"I would like an apology," said Longbottom, "And then I would like you to get out of my sight as quickly as possible!"

"Sorry sir," James said falsely, he was not at all sorry- infact he was positively delighted with his ability to insult a teacher.

"I'd watch your back if I were you Potter," Longbottom said loftily as James turned to leave the greenhouse, "But if you want answers, I suggest you look in Granger's office. Don't dig too deep- you might not like what you uncover."

James ran from the greenhouse as fast as he could, being careful not to trip over any stones as he picked up his broomstick- which was propped up against the glass wall. He continued to run through the grounds towards the castle, and up the marble staircase, at the top of which he found his friends.

"What did he say?" Rose asked worriedly.

"Not much," James lied, "He didn't even mention the detention."

"Oh good. Ready for History of Magic?"

"Definitely not," said James, as he and his friends walked as slowly as possible to their next dreaded lesson. Longbottom's final words were playing precariously on his mind _Don't dig too deep- you might not like what you uncover_… what on earth had he meant? And it had almost seemed as though he was trying to _help_ James, suggesting he look in Professor Granger's office- what would he find there? Was it possible that Longbottom knew about his search for the use of the stone? And if so, why on earth would Longbottom want to help him? Perhaps the stone was deadly, James wouldn't be surprised to find that his Herbology teacher wanted to kill him.

History of Magic was just as boring as ever, but James and Cygnus passed the time by passing notes- if by notes, you mean sketches of different ways to kill Longbottom and or Scorpius Malfoy- not that they had any real meaning. James had decided, rather riskily, to follow his abhorred teacher's advice and search Professor Granger's office, however, this involved breaking in- something he was unsure about, as he like Professor Granger a great deal.

He took a quill, and wrote quickly on a piece of parchment:

_Cygnus: Mission for tonight- break into Granger's office_

He passed it to Cygnus, who wrote:

_**James: why would we do that… are you hiding something from me?**_

_Something Longbottom said to me- and I want answers!_

_**Okay, fine… you know I'd never ignore a good bit of rule-breaking! What time?**_

_Why do you need a time you prat? You'll be with me all evening!_

_**Good point… okay, wait 'til Fred's asleep though- too many of us will just be suspicious**_

_Until then, my noble Sir. Black_

_**Until then indeed, good sir…**_

That evening the boys waited until the snores of their friend resounded around their circular dormitory before they left soundlessly. Unfortunately for Cygnus, Marmaduke the cat had become a frequent participant on these midnight wanderings, it was almost as if he knew when they were going to happen. They left through the portrait hole, silently as ever, and stalked through the shadows of the castle's corridors- hiding behind tapestries and suits of armour when they spotted Peeves the Poltergeist or Filch's cat Mrs. Nesbit. They soon found themselves outside Professor Granger's office, which was, thankfully, empty.

"_Alohamora_," James said, pointing his wand at the door's lock- he thanked Rose internally for teaching him that spell. The door clicked open, and the two boys entered the dark office.

"Why did we come in here?" Cygnus whispered.

"Because of something Longbottom said," James replied.

"I know _that_," Cygnus hissed, "But what did he say?"

"If you want answers, I suggest you look in Granger's office," James repeated out loud the words which had been circling his brain all day, "Don't dig too deep- you might not like what you uncover."

"What does that mean?"

"No clue!" James said, "Lets search."

He headed to the desk in the corner of the room, and tried to opened the drawer- it was still locked, "_Alohamora_!-" still no luck, _"-_damn it! Cygnus, help me open this bloody drawer!"

"Stand back, James," said Cygnus, smirking, "This spell might hurt your _pretty_ face! _BOMBARDA_!"

The spell struck the desk, and where there had previously a neat silver lock, there was now a gaping great hole- Cygnus had practically blasted it apart.

"Cheers mate," James said, hurriedly opening the drawer- but was sorely disappointed, the drawer contained nothing but unmarked tests and fish quills.

"Never mind, Jamie-poo- yes I like the nickname, so I'm going to keep it," said Cygnus, James glared at him, "I'm sure there are other things in here- Look, an entire wardrobe of discovery!"

He was right, next to the now damaged desk was a ceiling high mahogany wardrobe- it was big enough to hid all manner of things.

"We should probably fix her desk," James sighed, and pointed his wand lazily at the drawer, "_Reparo_."

The fragments of broken desk from the surrounding area zoomed back into place, making the desk look good as new. James now turned his attention to the wardrobe, which looked just as securely locked as the drawer had been. James, learning from Cygnus, pointed his wand at the lock and said loudly, "_BOMBARDA_!" and yet again, it burst open, the door nearly hitting Cygnus in the face. But nothing could have prepared James for what he found inside.

There was a wand- definitely not Professor Granger's as it was longer, and it was dark black wood. There was a locket- very badly damaged too, it had a gaping hole through the middle as though it had been punched by a sword. As well as several old sets of men's robes.

There was a box, which, when James opened it, was filled with letters- out of date letters written some 11 years previously.

There was a photo album which was entitled, _Post-Hogwarts Days- Weddings, Births, Christenings_.

James' mouth went dry- here they were, the answers, -not the ones he had been looking for necessarily, but all the same, they were answers! Could Rose's father feature in these photos, could James'?

"Bloody hell," said Cygnus, "Its like a time warp!"

"What-" James said quietly and distantly, his mind focussed on other things, "How often d'you think Herm- I mean Professor Granger looks in here?"

"Hmm," Cygnus wiped his finger across the top of the box of letters- it was covered in a think layer of dust, "Not very often. Why? Thinking of nicking it?"

"Yeah," James said quietly, picking up as many of the letters as he could carry, he didn't want to take the box- too obvious- and the photo album, "Lets go, quickly."

Cygnus didn't need telling twice, he shut the wardrobe door and repaired it quietly as the two boys left the office soundlessly. The journey back to the dorm was a swift and silent one- mainly because Mrs. Nesbit was following them. When they got to the dorm, James did anything but sleep, he turned to the first letter in the box, and began to read. He stayed that way long after Cygnus' heavy breathing joined Fred's snores.

* * *

Sorry it's short- the next Chapter is part of it, so read it now, or you won't understand!!

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	15. Chapter 14 : All my Love, Harry x x x

Chapter 14- All my Love, Harry

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_**Dear Hermione, 25th**__** April **_

_**I can't believe it! Honestly I can't! I wish I could see Umbridge's face right now- in case you hadn't already guessed, I am now officially a Ministry of Magic Auror! I know? Me! An Auror! As you can tell I'm so excited. You should have seen Ginny when I told her- she practically fainted! I've already written to tell McGonagall- you know she always wanted to help me get where I am. I'm having a part at Grimauld Place next week, all the old Order Members, an anniversary of the final battle, I'll probably see you before then, but just in case I don't, thought I'd let you know!**_

_**On a darker note, I saw Narcissa Malfoy today- going in for questioning with Kingsley, I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to vouch for her, without her I wouldn't be writing this letter… but of course you already know that! **_

_**How's work going? But more importantly, how's Ron going? it's a shame he stopped working with me, but I guess the Auror office wasn't for him- apparently George's shop is booming now he's joined! Also, apparently he's engaged to Angelina? Who knew!? - although they have already had a kid, I didn't know George was so big on commitment?**_

_**Much love,**_

_**Harry x x x**_

_**

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_**Dear Hermione, 19**__**th**__** May **_

_**Thanks so much for coming to the party last week- it was quite good in the end, especially with my surprise at the end! She said yes, by the way- if you didn't here her screams at the dinner table, Kreacher thought someone was killing her! It took me about an hour to calm him down and tell him we were getting married! He cleaned the house up specially, and made Ginny a special cake! Who knew he could be so generous? - he really is barmy! Molly is going crazy with Wedding plans, she's determined to have a summer wedding, like Bill and Fleur's. Speaking of which- Fleur's had her baby! Its amazing right? A boy, his name is Louis- how she convinced Bill to give their child two French names I'll never know! Have you seen any of the family recently? Ginny really misses you, but of course- work first it the mantra of Hermione Granger!**_

_**I went to Godric's Hollow yesterday- no one else knows, so don't tell Ginny! But I was thinking of repairing Mum and Dad's house- I had a look around, the damage isn't too bad (unless you count the graffiti of 'I want your babies' really bad)- yes I know you're hitting me over the head with a book right now! I was just wondering if you could help me by coming over there this weekend?**_

_**Write soon,**_

_**Harry x x x**_

_**

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**_

_**Dear Hermione, 21**__**st**__** June **_

_**You should have seen Ginny's face when I told her Ron proposed! I think her exact words were, "I didn't think they let ten year old get married!"- some things never change? By the way, you really helped Molly's wedding planning mode didn't you? She's like a parrot on steroids the amount she natters away! I here it's a Christmas wedding for you two? Absolutely perfect! I personally wanted one myself, but Ginny has to come first!**_

_**I went to see the Dursley's last week too- they're all fine. It was weird being back in Privet Drive after all this time- they didn't burn my stuff either, its in the attic! Who knew they had hearts after all? Dudley's doing fine by the way, he had a lovely girlfriend, Carol- a bit horse faced, but all the same. She doesn't know about wizards though, and Dudley hopes he'll never have to tell her- shouldn't need to unless I die and have a kid who needs blood protection- and I won't… touch wood. **_

_**Come over for Lunch on Sunday?**_

_**Harry x x x**_

_**

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**_

_**Dear Hermione, 17**__**th**__** July **_

_**The Honey Moon was amazing thanks! I can't believe I'm married! I'm only 21 for god's sake… well, nearly twenty-two now! We're having a joint birthday party on the 3**__**rd**__** of August, you can come if you like- no wait, scratch that! You MUST come, or I swear to Merlin I'll bring Voldemort back from the dead to kill you- maybe not that far… anyway, I went back to work today, there's some crazy woman- calls herself 'The Dark Lady Triste-Revivre'- running about killing muggle-borns, don't worry, she's nowhere near Somerset, so you're safe. Anyway, I just thought I should warn you- be careful, and don't leave the house without a wand. But we'll catch her, never fear, the Man-Who-Lived is near! **_

_**Progress is being made in Godric's Hollow, I think we'll be able to move in in the Autumn! How exciting is that? Have you and Ron got any plans for where you'll live when you finally tie-the-knot? I still can't imagine you being Hermione Weasley… well I suppose I can't believe Ginny's called Ginny Potter!**_

_**All my love,**_

_**Harry x x x **_

_**

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**_

_**Dear Hermione and Ron, 14**__**th**__** September**_

_**I'm glad to hear you're FINALLY living together! I love the photo of the house you sent- its so cute! I love it- Godric's Hollow is ahead of schedule, we're so excited! I've even convinced Kreacher to move with us when we leave Grimauld Place (Though I suspect he isn't long for this world). Triste has killed a few more people with no chance of us catching her- I think she might be gathering followers, I talked with Kingsley… this is how it happened the last time, oh! I hope that we'll catch her soon, Ginny's so jumpy- which reminds me, we have HUGE news for you both! And no, Ginny's not pregnant- its something different! **_

_**I hate not seeing you both everyday, it's strange that we're not at Hogwarts anymore, but I suppose I should get used to it, its been years! Its odd to think of all those children off at school and we're not… have you spoken to Neville? I haven't seen him since my birthday- hope he hasn't done a runner!**_

_**All my love, and an early Happy Birthday!**_

_**Harry x x x**_

_**

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**_

_Dear Hermione, 23__rd__ November_

_Whatever you do, don't show this to my idiot brother- he'll kill both of us! Sorry… forgot you two are getting married, but be warned, his feet smell terrible and he never does his own washing! Harry wants me to apologise that he hasn't written in a while, but, what with moving, Teddy moving in and this Triste woman, he barely has time to sit down, let alone write a letter! Teddy loves his broomstick by the way- I can't believe we have a five-year old living with us! Of course he stays with Andromeda at weekends, but still… what with that and Quidditch, I barely have time to move either!_

_Of course I'll be a bridesmaid at your wedding (did you even need to ask?), and don't worry, I'll hex Auntie Muriel if she dares say anything about 'skinny ankles'! _

_Now, back to why I wrote… you cannot tell ANYONE this, but Harry and I and trying to ave a baby! Yes I know, I'm not pregnant yet… but I can't wait to be a proper mum- to someone besides Teddy Lupin. I took him to see his parent's graves the other day, but I don't think he really understood- he did kiss them both though, and turn his hair bubblegum pink for the occasion- he must remember Tonks…_

_All my love,_

_Ginny x x x_

_

* * *

  
_

_**Dear Hermione WEASLEY!, 15**__**th**__** January **_

_**How was the Honey Moon? I bloody hope it was better than the wedding! Did you even invite Lavender Brown? I don't remember sending an invitation, but all the same. I hope you can come and see us soon- we've nearly finished becoming you-know-whats! How exciting- I'll give you ten brownie points if you can guess what mine is? A Stag! No surprises there- Ginny's not sure about her's yet, I think she's still a little nervous to tell you the truth!**_

_**I wanted to warn you about Triste- her power and followers are spreading and growing in numbers… its happening again. I'm sure of it. Stay on the look out- I'm considering restarting the Order, Kingsley agrees it's a good idea.**_

_**Sorry to put a damper on your day,**_

_**Harry x x x**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

_**Dear Hermione, 11**__**th**__** February**_

_**Haven't seen you in a while? How's work going- Kreacher hasn't stopped raving about the new House-Elf laws, I'm not sure whether he's pleased or not? Did you hear the news? Angelina's pregnant! It's due in the Autumn- isn't it all so exciting? Molly and Arthur cried at the idea of Grandchildren- they've already got a load- Roxanne for one? I suppose its different now they're married and everything. Teddy's fine, just to let you know- he's asleep on the sofa next to me at the moment- like a little angel. Until he wakes up!**_

_**I got a letter from Dudley today- he married Carol! Its amazing that he could actually find love- though I'm offended I wasn't invited to the wedding… he was invited to mine, though he didn't show. I bet Vernon and Petunia wouldn't let him!**_

_**Things are getting worse with Triste by the day- I think Malfoy's joined with her, and he HATED being a Death Eater with Voldemort! But, of course, I can't search his house without a warrant- he married Astoria Greengrass, by the way- who would ever marry Malfoy!?**_

_**EVERYONE'S GETTING MARRIED NOW!**_

_**Harry x x x **_

_**

* * *

  
**_

_Dear Hermione, 30__th__ August_

_I'M PREGNANT! Its due in March! We'll be Baby Buddies ( Ron told me! )_

_Love Ginny x x x_

_

* * *

  
_

_**Dear Hermione, 3**__**rd**__** September**_

_**GINNYS PREGNANT! Its due in March! If it's a boy, we're going to call him James.**_

_**All my love,**_

_**Harry x x x**_

_**

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**_

And that was the last of the letters sent by his parents to his Professor- a year in their life, now shown by nothing more than words on a page. James couldn't bring himself to look at the photo album- so instead he let his tears for his dead parents fall freely onto the tarnished paper. There was so much going through his head- and without realising it, he had found out who Rose's father was- Ron Weasley.

* * *

HAHAHA!!! now do you understand my evil plan? moo hoo wah ha ha ha ha HA!

x x x

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	16. Chapter 15 : Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw

Chapter 15-

It had been weeks since James and Cygnus' excursion into Professor Granger's office, but still he had not had the confidence to tell anybody anything that he had discovered- nor had he wanted to open the photo album, he didn't want to see Rose being held by a murderer. One thing James didn't know was who exactly he _had_ murdered? He knew it had been a family- but still… James had poured over the letters time and time again, trying to find some deeper meaning from their words… a hidden message. When asked what they were he ad replied, 'just old bills and stuff' and Cygnus had believed him- he was more focussed on his own past than on Rose or James'.

There was one other thing that struck him as odd- Teddy had been five or six when James' parents died, when Professor Granger gave up the name Weasley. Surely he- and probably Victoire and Roxanne- knew that Rose's father was the infamous murderer? Surely they had been sworn to secrecy? Or maybe had their memories wiped? But how could they have made the cover-up so huge that no one had _ever_ told Rose about her heritage- this was what really concerned James. There was something far more sinister below the seeming harmless intentions.

However, as Halloween passed James had far bigger things on his mind- the up coming Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw Quidditch match. Teddy had had them training harder than ever this week- apparently they hadn't won the league in a while, and he wanted in to happen on his last year. This did not help with James' ever growing nerves, which, by breakfast time on game day were soaring far higher than his Firebolt 320 ever could.

"You'll be great guys!" Fred was saying eagerly, although he did look a little ill today, "Come on, its Ravenclaw- they've got about as much muscle on their team as Malfoy has brains."

"So none, in other words," said Cygnus, smiling- he was far less nervous about the game, however, he would be armed with a giant bat, enough to cause some serious damage.

"Easy for you to say," James addressed Fred more than anyone, "You'll be in the stands."

"And why is that? Because _you're_ good at Quidditch and _I'm_ not!" said Fred, helping himself to another sausage, "Sausage?"

"Nah," James replied, he was too nervous to eat- mainly for fear of feeling sick in the air. It was out of character for him to be nervous, as usually he was the most confident of the group- but today was most definitely an exception. He and Cygnus headed down to the Quidditch pitch, and as they sat in the changing rooms. It felt as though the entire school had come to watch the match, and by 11 o'clock, the stands were filled with cheering pupils from all four of the houses.

"Okay men," said Teddy confidently.

"And women," said Roxanne huffily.

"And women," Teddy added with a smirk, "We need to win this first match. This is the best team we've had in years and-"

"-and you're sure we can win, because of all the new members, blah, blah, blah," said Roxanne, "Who cares? Lets play Quidditch! Quidditch on three! One, two, three QUIDDITCH!" they said together, as Teddy sulked rather visibly in the corner. They collected their brooms- James had the fastest on the team with his Firebolt- and headed triumphantly onto the pitch. James spotted a banner in the back row of the Gryffindor stands reading: _POTTER AND BLACK- THE DYNAMIC QUIDDITCH DUO!_ Rose, Fred, Lysander and Kerry standing proudly beneath it.

Peakes was refereeing, and he was standing in the centre of the pitch waiting for the two teams, his own broom in his hands, "Shake hands," he said gruffly to Teddy and the Ravenclaw captain- _Belby_?. And they did, all be it grudgingly.

"Mount your brooms," said Peakes, and James clambered onto his Firebolt 320. Peakes gave a short blast on his whistle, and the game began.

As the fifteen brooms rose into the air James heard a cheerful girl's voice speaking from the commentator's stand, "And Spinnet has the Quaffle, passes it to Polack- oh! Polack is hit by a Bludger aimed by Bradley! Ravenclaw have the Quaffle-"

James stopped listening after that- Alexa Spinnet had the quaffle, and was gesturing that she might pass it to him. He zoomed forward, caught the ball and slammed it into the hoop- the Ravenclaw Keeper wasn't happy about being beaten by a first year.

"And the score is now 10-0 to Gryffindor! Scored by the marvellous James Potter!" said Victoire, "He's my cousin-"

"Victoire!" Professor Granger shouted from the stands.

"Sorry Professor," said Victoire, "And now have possession of the Quaffle- Belby to Corner, Corner to- ooh! Stan Fawcett is hit by Cygnus Black's Bludger! Good aim for a first year!"

James caught the Quaffle as it fell from Fawcett's hands, and raced towards the posts, where he passed to Alexa, who scored a second Gryffindor goal, "20-0 to Gryffindor! The Chasers are on fire- oh! Has Teddy Lupin spotted the Snitch?"

It was true, it did look as though he had, as he rocketed off towards the ground, shortly followed by the Ravenclaw Seeker, but with no avail- the Snitch had disappeared. The game continued for some time thus, James and his Chasers scoring, Cygnus and Roxanne hitting Bludgers- which always found their targets- and Teddy occasionally diving for the Snitch.

"-it's 90-30 to Gryffindor as Belby scores another goal for Ravenclaw," said Victoire boredly, "And Potter has the Quaffle- passes to Polack, who makes a neat pass back to Potter. Potter to Spinnet and- OUCH! That has to hurt, James Potter is hit in the back of the head by a wayward Bludger, aimed by team-mate Cygnus Black- Professor Granger enters the Pitch."

It was true, James had felt a huge, sharp pain in the back of his head- and everything went black as he plummeted towards the ground like a bird without wings.

Next thing James knew he was in a surprisingly warm and comfortable bed. The sun was setting over the hills he could see in the distance through the stained glass windows, and there were six people at his bedside- two of whom he didn't recognise.

"So all in all, not one of the best first Quidditch matches in history?" said the tall orange haired man at his bedside. He gave a rueful smile as he did so.

"Oh Georgie, don't fuss," said a small and elderly witch who was very kind looking, "He's just waking up."

"JAMES I'M SO SORRY!" Cygnus blurted out from next to his left ear.

"Why are you sorry?" James asked groggily.

"Because- well.. I.. I mean I was the one who hit the Bludger at you," Cygnus said awkwardly. James didn't quite know what to say to this.

"That's okay," he said coldly, "I don't mind."

Cygnus looked incredibly guilty, though James couldn't see him for long, as he was enveloped in a bone crushing hug from the kind-faced woman, who was now sobbing loudly on his chest. James reached for his glasses.

"Mum!" said the man- James now recognised him as his _Uncle_ George, "Mum, he's obviously confused- Bludger hits hurt! You're going to break him!"

"No she won't," James said, his voice muffled by his crying _Grandmother_! She smelt familiar, she reminded him of feeling comforted and at home. He didn't care that she was crushing him. He could hear people around him laughing, he couldn't see who it was, though he suspected Cygnus was involved.

"Molly," said a familiar female voice- Professor Granger, "Introduce yourself first!"

"I know who she is," James said, as everyone else in the room drew breath, "Grandma?"

This induced another bout of tears from his pink-eyed Grandmother, "Oh-James-I-have-missed-you-so-much-when-George-said… OH!" she gasped between breaths.

"Now," said George, grinning at him, "We've met before.. Though… I'm sorry about all that James, you know…"

"I understand completely Uncle George," James said, beaming at him, "I know how I'd feel if someone I thought was dead came back into my life." George smiled knowingly at him, "Thanks for the broom by the way."

"My pleasure," said George. James decided he was going to be his favourite relative.

"You know dad," Fred said grumpily from beside his dad, "I still don't see why you couldn't buy me a broom!"

"Two reasons, Gred," said George, smiling ruefully again- it occurred to James that his face might be persistently in this remorseful position, "One, you didn't make the team. Two, you already have a broom."

"SO!" said Fred angrily, "Not that I'm sorry you got the broom though," he added to James.

An elderly woman in a white gown bustled into the room, "Out! Everyone, he needs his rest!"

"Can't we have five more-"

"No, Mr. Weasley," the woman said to Uncle George, "You always were…" she huffed.

George sauntered over to give James a goodbye hug, whispering in his ear, "Don't listen to a word that old Battleaxe says. Get out while you still can!"

James laughed happily as his Uncle and Grandma left the Hospital Wing, leaving only Cygnus, Rose, Fred and Professor Granger in the room.

"Rose, Fred, Cygnus," said Professor Granger, "Could you leave the two of us for a moment?"

The three of them knew by now not to argue with their teacher, and hurried from the hospital wing, leaving James and Hermione Granger entirely alone.

"James," she began kindly, "I know it was you who broke into my office a few weeks ago."

"What?" said James innocently, though he knew it wasn't very persuasive, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"James, I was friends with both you parents for years, and you are far too like both of them to fool me. Anyway, who else would only steal old letters and a photo album? By the way, you can have the rest if you want… and I know what you must have discovered. But I beg of you not to tell Rose-"

"I wasn't going to," James said quickly, "I mean, if you didn't want her to know… I know I wouldn't-"

"Thank-you James," said Hermione, smiling at him, "You did well in the match- Gryffindor won, by the way. Teddy caught the Snitch a few minutes after you were taken off the pitch."

James smiled at her, as Madam Pomfrey came bustling back into the room, looking severe, "OUT!"

"Sorry, Madam Pomfrey," said Hermione, "I'll see you in Transfiguration on Monday James- unless you want to come and visit me sooner?"

"Thanks," said James as she left the room, "Aunt Hermione."

Hermione grinned at him as she closed the double doors leading from the hospital wing. James smiled happily to himself. For the first time today he felt as though he had a family, a proper family. His fun-loving uncle, his loving grandmother… and then there was Hermione, Professor Granger- she was the aunt who knows everything… more like a mum. James felt suddenly very jealous of Rose and Fred.

"Open wide," Madam Pomfrey said, holding out a goblet of some foul looking potion.

"No thanks," James grinned at her, "Look, I'm fine can't I just-"

"No, Mr. Potter, you cannot leave!" said the elderly witch angrily, "You received a Bludger to the head- a well hit one too- and I'm afraid I'll have to keep you in over night."

James thought it was best not to argue with her, as he would never win. Instead he lay down in his hospital bed and thought to himself. Without a doubt his first few months at Hogwarts had been the best of his life- he had got a family, great friends, good teachers, he was doing well in all his lessons, perhaps top in Transfiguration. But there was still something missing from his perfect little life. Infact, it was far from perfect- he lacked what many children had, what everyone needs, what he so desperately craved. Parents. He thought of his mum and dad roaming the corridors of Hogwarts all those years ago, and it made him feel safer, more… more loved. And with that happy thought, he drifted peacefully into a deep sleep.

The next morning James sneaked from the hospital wing early- before Madam Pomfrey was even up. He knew he would get in trouble for it, but he didn't care, anything to get away from that unnatural place. He found himself in the Gryffindor common room far sooner than he expected, where he was greeted by many admirers. Apparently the game had ended far better than he could have expected. He was currently being given a play-by-play analysis by Kerry.

"-and then he just dived straight for it and- James? Where are you going?"

"Away," James grinned and ruffled his hair as he went to the corner of the common room.

"What have I told you about your hair!" said Rose grumpily as James slumped into the sofa next to her.

"That I shouldn't ruffle it," James said boredly.

"And what did you just do?" Rose asked despairingly.

"Ruffle my hair," James said with a wink , grinning handsomely at her.

"Ugh," said Rose, slapping hard on the back of the head as she noticed several girls swooning in the corner, "We're eleven!"

"Ow!" James protested, rubbing the back of his head, "If you weren't a girl, I'd hex you!"

"What!?" said Rose coarsely, "You won't hex me because I'm a _girl_? UGH! You are such a pig James Potter!"

She got up and stormed away loudly and angrily from him, which had drawn the attention of several older students. She continued to stamp up the stairs to the girl's dormitories where they could hear a muffled slam as the door shut noisily behind her.

"Whats up with her?" Cygnus asked, "Ooh! Maybe she likes you?"

James shuddered, "I seriously hope not."

"Why not?" Cygnus asked him, "I mean, she's quite pretty.. Got a bit of a temper but-"

"Why are we even talking about this!" James said angrily, SHE WAS HIS COUSIN! He too got up and stomped furiously from Fred and Cygnus, who shared looks of utter confusion. Once he had got to the dormitory he slumped on the bed, and did what he had become so accustomed to doing recently, he picked up the pile of letters, the stone, and the photos of his parents. He pored over them, looking for some kind of connection between them, looking for a clue of what the little marking on the stone could mean, but finding absolutely nothing.

He withdrew himself to throwing the stone up and down in the air, lying on his back on his four-poster bed. The piles of papers and photo's were strewn out across the bed, and Marmaduke the cat was lying sleepily on them. James continued to throw the stone in the air… THUNK… it hit his hand again… THUNK… and again… James threw it in the air and third time- and it was then the something very odd happened.

Marmaduke seemed to leap through the air from where he had been apparently sleeping and knock the stone onto the floor. He then sat on it, and seemed to fall back to sleep.

"Stupid cat," James said grumpily, kicking the orange furball as he purred softly on the wooden floor. Marmaduke hissed loudly and padded from the room, looking thoroughly offended. James didn't care. He completely agreed with Cygnus, cats were disgusting.

* * *

HAHAHA!!! what do you think?

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	17. Chapter 16 : The Three Brothers

Chapter 16-

_Tap_… _Tap… Tap… Tap…_

"Stop that, will you!"

"I've already said I'd stop it faster if you'd help me with my essay," James grinned devilishly at his unknown-to-her cousin.

"And I've already said you have to do it on your own or you'll never learn!" Rose said irritably turning back to her own essay."

_Tap… Tap… Tap… Tap…_ "Hey Rosie."

"What?" she said through gritted teeth.

"Did you ever find out what that rune meant?"

"No, James," Rose said exasperatedly.

_Tap… Tap… Tap… Tap… _"Hey Rosie?"

"WHAT DO YOU WANT JAMES?"

"Hi!" he said, grinning mockingly at her.

"James, this is no way to get someone to do your homework for you," said Rose, "And I'm sure you'll enjoy it more than you think if you actually _read the title_!"

"Au Contraire, ma belle fluer," James purred at her, "I am 'oping to annoy you into 'elping moi!"

"James, that is a terrible French accent," said Rose impatiently, "Do your History of Magic essay in peace. I'm not helping you!"

_Tap… Tap… Tap… Tap…_

"James, mate that is getting seriously annoying," Cygnus put in from the desk next to his own, "Do your work!"

"But it's hard," James whined.

"Its not going to get any easier," Cygnus mocked his whiney voice.

"Humph," James sulked, and stopped tapping his quill on the desk. He turned back to his History of Magic essay, but with no avail, he hadn't even bothered to read the title, "Rosie!"

"WHAT!?" she screeched, picking up her things and storming from the room. Over the past few weeks this sight was becoming more and regular, and less and less annoying for the others.

Cygnus turned around quickly to check she was out of sight, "Don't worry, Jamie-Poo. She's just touchy because her cat's missing. Good riddance in my opinion."

James had to agree with him on this, as Rose's cat Marmaduke was not his favourite animal in the whole world. Infact, the cat's only merit was finding that ancient rune in the old book- but even that had been an accident, and not helped in the slightest, they were no closer to discovering what it meant. Rose's foul mood wasn't helped by the fact that Fred was ill again. This was becoming almost as regular as Rose's tantrums, but they were slightly less annoying than the latter. James sighed and turned back to his essay, now sure that there was no chance of help from his friend. He gave up, and finally read the title.

_The Tale of The Three Brothers- Truth or Fantasy_

James had to admit that this title was far more interesting than he had anticipated. He knew the tale of the three brother was a wizarding fairy tale, one which he had never heard- yet another reason why he wished he had parents. James smiled to himself sadly. The Gryffindor common room was entirely empty apart from Cygnus and himself. Everyone else was in bed at this time of night.

"What is The Tale of The Three Brother?" James asked his best-friend, knowing he would have heard it as a child.

"A fairy story," Cygnus replied tiredly, "I don't know why Binns has got us writing this rubbish, everyone knows that it's just a kid's story."

"Yeah," said James, knowing of his History teacher's barmy tendencies, "But, what happens in the story?"

"How should I know," Cygnus said, yawning, "Mum never told it to me. Always said it was too dark, or whatever."

"Huh," said James, "Then how did you do your essay?"

"Stole Rose's and duplicated it," Cygnus grinned at him, "Do you want a copy?"

"Need you ask?" James smiled, taking out his wand, "_Gemino_!"

There were instantly two identical copies of Rose's essay on the desk, James grinned happily, he would read it later.

"Off to bed then?" Cygnus asked, heading for the stairs.

"Yeah," said James, "I'll be there in a minute."

James gathered his things together and hurried to his dorm- but he wasn't planning to sleep. The essay had sparked an unusual interest in his mind.

He stayed up long after Cygnus was asleep, his curtains on his four-poster drawn, the light from his wand illuminating his private cave. Rose's essay sat on his lap and his traced the words with the tip of his wand:

_The Tale of The Three Brothers- Truth or Fantasy_

_The popular fairy tale, The Tale of The Three Brothers, is often said to have far more meaning to it than just a humble children's story. The author, Beedle the Bard, who died many years ago, is said to have invented the story himself- but just how true is this? Many people believe that the three brothers in the tale were infact the Peverell brothers_, _Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus. The Peverell family has been extinct in the male line for many years, however descendants in the female line still exist._

_It has also come under speculation the three items supposedly given by 'Death' to the three brothers were infact three real items, often referred to as 'The Deathly Hallows'. Many wizards have sought to possess all three Hallows, as it would make them 'the master of death', although, as far as we know, no man or woman has ever succeeded. Whether these items were actually given by death, or whether they were just created by the brother who were incredibly powerful wizards. The items are, The Cloak of Invisibility, The Elder Wand, and The Resurrection stone, claimed to be engraved with the Peverell 'Coat of Arms' ; the symbol of the Hallows._

_The first of these is said to make the wearer truly invisible, not just disguised or camouflaged. The second, the wand, also known as 'the Death Stick' or 'The Wand of Destiny' is said to be in existence, as many wizards- including Lord Voldemort himself- claim to have been in possession of it at some time. The third, the Resurrection stone, is a small black stone, which when used properly can bring people back to a sort of life-_

James stopped reading there. His breathing had become very fast as he reached to his bedside table to look at the black stone that was sitting there. It fit the description perfectly- could the marking be the coat of arms? But he was being stupid… there must be hundreds of smooth black stones with strange markings. He was letting himself get carried away, and anyway, Rose would have said something if they were connected. Rose knew everything… but still. Something seemed to fit with the stone, it felt special, like it radiated power. James put out his wand light and fell asleep easily, his dreams full of his parents.

"Look!" Rose said angrily as she slammed a paper down on the Gryffindor table, disrupting James' bacon.

"The newspaper?" James said confusedly, "But you hate the Prophet Rose!"

"Its not that!" she said exasperatedly, "Look at the title."

"_WEASLEY SIGHTED IN HOGSMEADE_, whats so strange about that?" James asked, "There are loads of Weasleys, maybe it's George?"

"You really are thick sometimes, aren't you? Its Ron Weasley!"

James grimaced as he heard her say the name of her dad. He was the only one who knew the secret, and to be honest, it was getting tiring.

"So?"

"It was _Professor Longbottom_ who saw him! Maybe he was trying to kill him again!"

"Rose, I don't think he'd try that in broad day-light," said Cygnus, "and anyway, Longbottom's a git, who cares if he dies?"

"Cygnus! That's a horrible thing to say about someone," said Rose.

"I'm going to have to agree with him, there," said James, "And anyway, I don't see what Weasley did wrong? He _tried_ to kill Longbottom, that's not that big a crime!"

Rose and Cygnus exchanged wary glances, "That's not _all_ he did, James," Rose said worriedly, "I thought you knew? I thought they would have told you?"

"Told me what?" James asked, but they remained silent, "TOLD ME WHAT!?" he shouted at them, making several people around him stare.

"Well…we're not the people to tell you…" Rose said worriedly.

"Mate," said Cygnus slowly, "Weasley's the reason You-Know-Who found your parents. He was their secret keeper. He told her where you guys lived-"

"People thought the same about Sirius Black," said James, not wanting to believe his parent's best friend had betrayed them, "He turned out to be innocent."

"He was only convicted because no one knew the truth," said Rose frantically as James seemed to shake a little, "But Longbottom told the Aurors about it straight away when he heard, that's why Weasley went after him… tried to kill him-"

"No," said James, "No! You're lying! He wouldn't have betrayed them like that!"

"He did…" said Rose leaning to touch James' shoulder, but he pulled away angrily, "James… oh, James I'm so sorry…"

"How could he do that to his best friend?" James asked, "To his own SISTER?"

"I don't know, I don't know!" said Rose, "But there's nothing we can do about it… thanks to Longbottom he never got to finish-"

"Finish?" James spat at her, "You consider killing me as _finishing_? You're more like him than I thought, Rose."

"Like who?" Rose called after James as he stormed away from the table, "LIKE WHO, JAMES?"

But he didn't reply, he simply disappeared through the double doors of the Great Hall, all thoughts of the Peverell brothers from his mind. James continued to huff all the way to the greenhouses. He couldn't believe her. He wouldn't. it couldn't possibly be true- yes, he knew that Weasley was a murderer, but that he was the murderer of _his parents_. He didn't want to believe it. All his senses must have been deceiving him. He shut his eyes, wishing the thoughts away- but they wouldn't go away. The maniacal face of Ron Weasley was rushing forward to his eyelids as he closed them. His deep blue eyes staring murderously at him.

He made his way past Hagrid, the giant Professor who was currently dragging one of the School's twelve Christmas trees into the great hall. It was only a week from Christmas, but James was still unsure of what he was doing or where he was going for the holidays. He had been expecting just to stay at Hogwarts, however Fred and Rose seemed to be dropping hints that he should stay with them over the holidays. He made his way through a deep snowdrift, as the castle was now snow topped like a pretty Christmas cake, and managed to fall face first into it. He fell too much for his liking.

James was far too early for Herbology, and he was the only one outside the greenhouse. The window panes of the glasshouse were steamy and nearly opaque with condensation, but even through this mist, James could see Professor Longbottom was inside. He was talking to someone.

The odd thing was, that this someone looked far to old to be a student, and far too unkempt. Even through the murky pane, James could tell he look angry- perhaps another teacher. Yet the man couldn't possibly be another teacher, as his hair was flaming red like fire. James has a flyaway thought that it could be his Uncle George, after all, he could only see the back of his head, and that was what he imagined George looked like from the back. But the man was too tall to be George, and James could tell as the man raised a great fist, that he had huge hands.

The two men were talking, and loudly, as James could hear the muffled shouts through a broken pane in a window nearby where someone (definitely _not_ James…) had thrown a Belladonna seed through it during their last lesson. Professor Longbottom has obviously forgotten to fix it. James edged silently closer to the crack in the panel so as to hear what they were saying more clearly- CRACK! A twig broke underfoot. The two men stopped their argument for a moment, but sensing that no one was nearby, they continued their heated discussion, which James was now close enough to hear-

"- come forward!" the red-head was saying angrily, "it's the right thing to do. _Coward_!" he hissed.

"We've been through this, _Weasley_," said Longbottom coolly, "I have no interest in coming forward. I'd rather watch _you_ suffer."

It was Ron Weasley in there. James had to stop himself gasping- he had had enough of that man for one morning. It was all he could do to stop himself from going and killing him right there.

"But _why_, Neville?" Weasley was saying, his rough voice heavy and pleading, "You were their _friends_! My _friend_!"

"I don't wish to discuss this with you," said Longbottom angrily, "You know the only reason why I'm not handing you to the Aurors-"

"Like you did last time," Weasley put in.

"- is because it is in _my_ best interests," Longbottom finished.

"But what about Rose?" Weasley was pleading, James almost felt a pang of pity for him, which was quickly wiped out by loathing, "What about Hermione? What about my family? About James?"

James felt sick. Weasley had mentioned him. Was he putting on this sorry act so that he could get to James and, as Rose had put it 'finish the job'. Or was he genuinely sorry? Was he innocent… No! James told himself firmly. He couldn't be humane to this man. He was the reason he had no parents.

"The two of them are in my class," snapped Longbottom, "Rose is as brilliant as her mother. James as disobedient as his father. Both have earned several detentions for it, and both are due into my classroom any moment. I suggest you leave. Now."

Weasley looked ready to curse Longbottom, "If I had a wand-"

"Leave."

Weasley turned quickly on his tail, before running from the greenhouse without another word. James had the most horrible suspicion that he had seen him. He blinked, and Weasley was gone. Like that. No wonder he had managed to break out of Azkaban. The man was a criminal genius.

"James? Oh, James, I'm so sorry!" Rose had arrived, Fred and Cygnus in tow. She looked incredibly upset, and James couldn't bear to let her suffer.

"'S'okay," he said solemnly, "I know you didn't mean it. And I couldn't exactly go without knowing."

Rose smiled apologetically at him, Fred thumped him on the back. Suddenly James realised something. These people were his friends. Friends who he had secrets from. He couldn't keep secrets from friends…

"Guys, there's something I need to tell you," James said hurriedly, and their three faces lit up, "I just saw Ron Weasley."

"But James that's impossible!" said Rose quickly, "How could Weasley get onto school grounds? Someone would spot him. He's not hard to miss, being so tall and ginger!"

"Oi," said Fred, "I'm tall and ginger!"

"I'm just telling you what I saw," said James, "He was arguing with Longbottom.. Something about admitting it. I think Longbottom's done something wrong, but I don't know what. He kept talking about 'his best interests', and how coming forward was definitely not in them."

"Maybe he was talking about coming forward about seeing Weasley?" Rose asked quickly, "I mean, why didn't he stun him in the first place?"

"I don't know," said James, his brow furrowing, "He said, 'the only reason I'm not handing you to the Aurors is because it's in my best interests'."

"Why?"

"I have absolutely no idea," said James worriedly, "But I know we're going to find out."

"James…" Rose said awkwardly, "Thank you for telling us. I mean, I know how you like to keep things secret, but-"

"I know, Rose" said James, "And I've decided to tell them about that too."

"About what?" Fred and Cygnus said in unison.

"About the stone," said James, "When I was in detention in the forest, I found a tiny black stone with an odd marking on it. Rose later found this marking in a book of her mum's, and I- I think I know what the stone is."

"What!?" said all three, Rose looked especially offended at not having been informed of this new development.

"I think it's the stone from The Tale of The Three Brothers," said James, sighing to himself.

"But James! That's impossible," said Rose again, "There's no such thing as a resurrection stone, there just can't be!"

"I know that it sounds unlikely," said James, "But I found out what the story that the rune in the book heads is."

"What is it?" Rose asked him.

"The Tale of The Three Brothers," James said proudly, as Cygnus and Fred looked at him in awe, "And I know it's far fetched, but I'm just telling you what I saw."

"But James, it can't be true!" said Rose angrily, "You know it can't!"

"Why can't it Rose?" Cygnus asked her, "Why not? It sounds like it fits."

"Well you've only just heard the story, we've been working on it for months and-"

"And what?" said Fred, "We could at least look into James' idea. Who cares if it doesn't amount to anything? We might have a resurrection stone with us!"

James smiled gratefully at him, as he reached into his deep robe pocket, and pulled out the smooth black stone.

* * *

yey!!!! thanks to all my reviewers so far, any suggestions are welcome... and if anyone wants to draw me fanart for a chapter thats fine... no that its a hint or anything!!!

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	18. Chapter 17 : A New Kind of Christmas

Chapter 17-

The castle was now truly into the Christmas spirit. The halls were decorated with holly and mistletoe, the common room with tinsel and snow (charmed by Teddy) and the great hall with 12 magnificent Christmas trees, all delivered by Hagrid. There were carols being sung from every inch of the hall, be it from a passing teacher ( usually elderly Professor Flitwick ) or from a suit of armour, which would jump out to surprise you. Even Peeves the Poltergeist had risen to the occasion, and was currently only chucking Christmas pudding and Mince Pies at students, rather than the usual dung bomb.

But the ghosts weren't the only one preparing for Christmas, James was more excited this year than he ever had been before. Why? Because he was going to stay with his _real _family. He had received a letter from his Uncle George the day before, inviting him to go for Christmas with them at 'The Burrow'- which was where his grandparents lived. However, James would be staying with the Grangers, as his Aunt Angelina was sick at the moment- Dragon Pox apparently. James hoped she would be better for Christmas day itself. He had also written to the Dursleys, explaining where he was going, should they need to contact him (not that they would, they hadn't spoken since the summer). He had received a short, yet polite, letter from Aunt Carol, explaining that it was okay, and that they would send his present by post. James felt a little guilty about this- he hadn't expected a present from them. He would have to get them something during the holidays.

Rose, being the decision maker of the friends, had decided that they shouldn't try to investigate anything more about the stone, or about Weasley until they went home for Christmas. James was both happy and sad about this, as he had a strange infatuation with wanting to find out about the stone, and a deep dread of Rose discovering that Ron Weasley was her father. Anyway, she still wasn't convinced by the whole 'Three Brothers' thing, but James didn't care- he always had Cygnus on his side. The two boys had had a detention on the last evening of term (they had somehow managed to blow up a toilet in Filch's face) , after which they had packed their things and headed down to the entrance hall to board the Hogwarts express.

"I can't wait to get home!" Rose was squeaking excitedly, it was the happiest she had been in days, as Marmaduke the cat was still missing.

"Why?" asked Fred, "Your mum lives here? Why do you care?"

"That's not the point, Freddie!" said Rose, "Its Christmas!"

"Ugh," said Cygnus, staring vacantly at Filch's cat, Mrs. Nesbit.

"Whats got your knickers in a twist?"

"Nothing," said Cygnus, continuing to stare blankly at the cat.

James whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "His dad died at Christmas- his mum's always a pain about it."

"I thought his dad was a git anyway?" Fred whispered back.

"He was," said Rose, "But he was still his dad, you know?"

"Yeah," said James, thinking about Rose's own father situation. He knew she was thinking about her own dad, and he felt guilty that he couldn't tell her who he was, even though he already knew. They passed silently through the hall from then on, through the heavy snowdrifts of the icy grounds and onto the carriages drawn by invisible horses. From there they arrived at the great scarlet steam engine that was the Hogwarts express, which was ready to take them home.

On the train, James, Fred, Rose and Cygnus joined a compartment which contained two identical twin boys, Lysander and his brother Lorcan, who was a Ravenclaw.

"Hello," said Lorcan distantly, he had a slightly crazed look which Lysander lacked, he blue eyes were staring fiercely at the four friends, "Your heads are all full of Nargles."

"Don't mind him," said Lysander, he was looking directly at them- he was far more abrasive than his twin, "He takes after mum."

James had the feeling that the twin's mum must have been incredibly odd and rather uncomfortable to be around, as that was the impression he got from Lorcan, who had now proceeding to batting invisible flies from around his dirty-blonde head. James sat down uncomfortably next to them- the others soon followed.

Fred tried to start what was inevitably going to be an awkward conversation, "So… you two looking forward to Christmas?"

"Oh yes!" said Lorcan, "Me, and mummy are going looking for Roonil Wazlibs!"

"Oh yeah?" James said trying, with no avail, to sound interested. He highly suspected that 'Roonil Wazlibs' were made up, "What about you, Lys?"

"I'm staying at home with dad," said Lysander, "We're not so interested in Wazlibs." James supposed from Lysander's tone of voice, he wasn't so sure of the existence of Roonil Wazlibs himself. Cygnus was scowling happily to himself in the corner, watching the fluffy flakes of snow fall on the window as the train rushed through the blank scenery of north Scotland.

"Oh," said Rose, "Well, Fred, James and I are spending Christmas together. You know-"

"Can we not talk about Christmas for one second?" James turned suddenly as Cygnus barked angrily at them. Rose jumped abruptly.

"Fine," said Rose coldly, "Why don't we talk about school instead? Compare numbers of detentions? How many have you had now? 20?"

"Twenty-two, actually," said Cygnus smugly, suddenly perking up considerably, "And its not like you're so innocent, Rose. Longbottom must have given you at least ten!"

James' insides squirmed at the mention of his least favourite teacher, who happened to hate Rose because she was the daughter of the escaped murderer who tried to kill him- that was one sentence James never expected to say. Not that she knew she even had a living dad.

"He happens not to like me," said Rose, "But you and James and both just lazy and rude!"

"But they still get good marks," said Fred enviously.

"Its because we're amazing," said James smugly, ruffling his hair up, ignoring Rose's disdainful glance, "And because we're naturally talented at everything."

"Modest too," laughed Fred.

"Yeah," said Cygnus, "That too!"

* * *

"Cygnus!" the boy turned around as he stepped boldly from the Hogwarts express, and found himself in the arms of his mother.

"Hi mum," he said gloomily, reddening as James and Fred begun to laugh.

"Well I never," said Mrs. Black, "James! I honestly couldn't believe it when I heard you were at Hogwarts!" she gave him a hug too, "And this must be Fred Weasley," she said sadly, "I was in the year above your father at school. And Rose Granger, your mum always was the brightest in the year!" she finished. It really amazed James just how much Mrs. Black knew about Hogwarts, and had never mentioned it to them, he supposed it was because she thought James was a muggle. He somehow couldn't imagine Mrs. Black at school, perhaps because she was rather severe.

"Fred!" James spotted his Uncle George striding over to where they were standing, he gave his son in a huge, bone crushing hug, "And James! How's my favourite nephew?"

"Good thanks," said James, "This is Mrs. Black, she's Cygnus' mum."

"Blimey," said George, "So she is. You were in the year above me and… me at school. Andromeda, right?"

"Yeah," said Mrs. Black, "It's nice that the boys have made friends. I always like you and your brother."

George's face hardened considerably at the mention of his brother- whether they were speaking of the dead brother, or the murderous brother, James wasn't sure. One thing he was sure of though, was that his Uncle George was not a man to be messed with.

"Yes," George said in clipped tones, "Well, Fred and I must be off. You know, his mum's sick. Where's Roxanne? I'll see you two at Christmas," he added to Rose and James, giving each of them a hug as he hurried quickly towards the barrier.

"I really put my foot in my mouth, didn't I?" said Mrs. Black unhappily.

"He doesn't like it when people talk so openly about Uncle Fred," said Rose, "It reminds him of how he was when- well, he wasn't very well after he died."

James didn't know what she meant by 'not very well', but thought it was best not to go any further into it. He wanted to talk to his Uncle George, because he, more than anyone else, knew what it was like to lose someone so close to you. After all, he had lost both a twin and a sister. They said their goodbyes to Cygnus and his mother, promising them letters (and Christmas presents) throughout the holidays. So then, it was just Rose and James.

"Where's Profess- I mean, your mum?" James asked her.

"She should be here soon, she was going home last night," said Rose, "This is one of the times when I wish I had a mobile phone!"

"You know about mobiles?" James asked, astounded by the idea that Rose, having been brought up by wizards, knew about such things.

"Of course!" said Rose, giggling at him, "I live in a muggle community of London, and my mum and grandparents are muggle-born! I do keep up with these things, I even have a television in my bedroom!"

"Wish I had that," said James, "I just have the one in the Dursley's sitting room."

"Hello!" a bright voice chimed from behind, "You must be James Potter," she looked at James. She was a middle aged, rather plump woman with a very blonde perm, sparkly glasses and lots of lipstick on her teeth, "Rita Skeeter, I write for the Daily Prophet!" she extended a long-fingered hand to him- her nails were very sharp and painted blood red.

"Hi," said James awkwardly, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"No no," said Rita Skeeter, "The pleasure is all mine. You're a very modest young man- do you think that your fame will change any of that?" she asked, withdrawing a pink notepad and a quill, as she spoke, the quill scratched down her words.

"Um, I don't know really," said James, ruffling his hair up, "I guess so?"

"And do you think that the untimely death of your parents, as well as the-" she stopped mid sentence, the quill came to an abrupt halt, "And you must be Rose Ganger?" she asked, sickly sweet, looking down her stubby nose as Rose, she extended a hand as though Rose was a rather foul animal, "A pleasure."

"No no," Rose imitated Skeeter's earlier tone, "The pleasure is _all_ mine."

"Whats this?" James looked up to see Hermione standing beside Skeeter, looking rather windswept and flushed, but positively livid at the sight of Rita Skeeter, "What are _you_ doing here?" she asked the reporter, a distinct sneer in her voice.

"I wanted to be the first to interview young Mr. Potter after his recent return to the wizarding world," said Skeeter pompously, "But I can tell that I'm not wanted here."

"You seem to have improved your social skills, _Rita_, if you can pick up things like that," said Hermione, "I think you should leave now."

"Yes," said Rita Skeeter, "I think I shall." and with that, she turned on her scarlet high-heels, and stomped angrily away.

"I'm so sorry about that James," Hermione sighed, "I trust you didn't tell her anything to personal?"

"Not really," said James, "Thanks for letting me stay with you, by the way." he added on afterthought.

"My pleasure," said Hermione, "After all, we're practically family," she winked at him, "Shall we be off then? Good journey Rosie?"

"Yes mum!" said Rose, "Did you find Marmaduke?"

"Well, you'll never guess where he turned up," said Hermione, launching into a story of finding the savage cat in a bush somewhere in their back garden. They loaded their things into the Granger's large BMW, and drove off through the centre of London. The traffic was terrible. Apparently the Granger's house was just outside London, in Kew. James had never been there before, although he lived in Surrey himself, this place was different to the Surrey he knew. He had to admit that the area was rather posh- the houses were all at least tree times the size of 17 Leggit Way.

* * *

About half an hour after leaving King's Cross, they pulled into the drive of a very pretty Victorian red-brick house. There was a bay tree outside the pale-blue front door, and James could see a trampoline in the well groomed back garden. They went through the front door, and inside was just as neat and tidy. The wall were a very girly blue colour, and everything seemed to have a special place.

"Do you like it?" Hermione asked enthusiastically, "We just renovated last year! And don't worry, its not all so… so _muggle_!"

"Its brilliant," said James, and it was. It was as neat as Aunt Carol's, but far more homey. Although no one had been living there for months, it had a definite _lived_ in quality to it.

"Well, its been strange spending a year at Hogwarts instead of here, I can tell you," said Hermione.

"What? Do you usually live here during term time?" James asked.

"Well, I've had to," said Hermione, "What with Rose and everything. Come one, lets get your things upstairs, you'll have the spare room James, is that okay?"

"Its great," said James, pulling his trunk in and towards the stairs, along with Luna's empty cage- she was delivering a letter to his Aunt and Uncle at the moment.

James' room was the most masculine in the house it seemed, being a deep red colour. He placed his trunk on the floor, and Luna's cage on the bedside table. From his window he had a view of the Primary School opposite- it must have been the end of term for them too, as there were parents picking up little children from school. James stared longingly at them, there was one couple with a little girl with red hair. The man had black hair like James', and the woman had red hair like the little girls. They looked so familiar that they could have been James' parents. He envied the little girl. She had the parents he so desperately craved. He needed them. If only the stone in his pocket _was_ the Resurrection stone.

He watched as the little family gained another member, a little boy, slightly older than the girl, with black hair- he looked so like the dad. James wished he were the little boy. He wished that it was his mum embracing him, not that mum embracing that boy. It was all Weasley's fault. It was his fault that James had no parents- and James suddenly had a horrible thought, this was Weasley's old house. He had lived here. Perhaps sat in James' very position. It made him feel so angry.

"Supper!" Hermione called from downstairs, and he heard the tramping of feet as Rose came to his room- she knocked on the door.

"You coming? Mum made lasagne," she asked, grinning widely at him, walking towards the window to sit by him- she seemed to have noticed the family he was staring at too, as she said, "They look like your parents?" she asked kindly.

"Yeah," James said quietly, "How did you-?"

"Mum," said Rose, "She used to stare at them all the time. Even invited them over one time- I used to go to that school… once I was old enough to know not to tell them about magic- and we had some near misses, I can tell you. The girls called Lily- it scared mum, she was convinced for years that they _were_ your parents. Fred and his dad used to come over- talked her out of it. They were getting worried."

"Yeah," said James, it was odd how much Rose understood him, "Supper?"

"Yup," said Rose, springing up, and padding to the door, James made no move to follow her- "You've always got us you know?" she added.

"I know," said James, getting up and following her from the room, but not before closing the curtains- he couldn't bare to look at the family any longer.

* * *

The next few days passed in a blur- they met James' Uncle Bill one day- he was very nice. They took them to Diagon Alley, where James bought Cygnus a pair of Beater's gloves for Christmas, and a trick wand for Dunstan- he thought he might like to see what magic was like. Uncle George was at his shop, but Fred wasn't, apparently he was staying home with Angelina. They bought new robes for Hermione- purple with stars on. And a collar for Marmaduke- Rose didn't want to lose him again. Before any of them knew it, Christmas Eve was upon them- as was Hermione's Christmas Party. Apparently she had one annually, inviting all the wizards they knew to her large house in Kew- casting all the necessary muggle-repelling charms of course. They wouldn't noticed the noise at all.

James wasn't particularly happy with some people on the guest list, as they included the Malfoy's- which meant Scorpius too- and the Longbottom's, Neville and his wife Hannah. James' opinion of his Professor's wife was no higher than that of the man himself. She was rude, cruel and a bit of a snob. Apparently she hadn't always been like that, Hermione said she had changed a lot since school, but, then again, so had everyone. But that wasn't the oddest thing about Hannah Longbottom, infact, her unkind behaviour towards James seemed perfectly ordinary in comparison to it. The oddest thing about her was the power she had over Professor Longbottom. He would do whatever he was told- if she wanted a drink, he would get it for her, if she needed to talk to someone, he would accompany her there, and not leave her side, as though he was some hopeless spaniel. Perhaps that's whats its like when you're in love? The Longbottom's daughter Alice was also there, and she seemed very nice, although she was only eight.

Fred had come to the party too, though he looked a little peaky- perhaps he had contracted Dragon Pox too? James hoped not. His friend was ill enough as it was. The three of them- Rose, James and Fred- spent the evening in Rose's room, after putting a dung-bomb down Malfoy's back they had been sent their by Uncle George (though James noted a hint of pride in his voice as he scolded them). They read the Tale of The Three Brothers to each other, over and over again, passing the stone between them as they did- hoping it would give them some kind of clue.

"I think I know how to find out if it _is_ the you-know-what," said James, when it was his turn to hold the stone, "We try it out. Like it says the in story- turn it in our hands three times."

"I don't know-" Rose began, but Fred cut across her.

"There's no harm in trying," said Fred, "If it is the stone then we've solved the mystery, and if it isn't… well then, we've just turned a regular black stone over in our hands three times."

James grinned appreciatively at him, and begun to turn the stone in his hand. Once… twice… thr-

"WHAT?" All three of them shouted at the same time- Marmaduke had sprung from nowhere and run off with the stone.

"That bloody cat!" said James, "I swear, I'm _this _close to clobbering it."

"He doesn't mean any harm!" said Rose, "Marmaduke!" she called after her cat, following it's bushy tail from the room, "Marmaduke, its not nice to steal."

"Rosie," said Fred, "It's a cat, not a baby- it can't understand you."

Rose stuck her tongue out at him and continued to call after the long gone cat. It was nearly midnight, and the adults downstairs was slowly leaving. James couldn't wait to get to bed. Fred left soon after the Marmaduke episode- very apologetically. However, Marmaduke didn't return with the stone, much to James' disappointment. He went to bed on Christmas eve full of anger for the stupid little furball.

"JAMIE! JAMIE! JAMIE!"

"Huh?"

"Do you know what it is?"

"Its 6 o'clock, Rose! That's what it is! Go back to bed!"

"But its Chriiiistmaaas!" she sang in a poor imitation of a Christmas song James had heard a million times.

"Fine!" James said moodily, getting up out of bed- it was still dark outside. He and Rose hurried down the stairs and into the powder blue sitting room of the Granger's house. Several days earlier they had put a little Christmas tree in the corner, and on top of it was a garden gnome (spray painted gold), which was apparently a joke they had inherited from the Weasley family. Underneath the tree now sat a huge stack of presents- and beside it in an armchair sat Hermione.

"Merry Christmas," she said happily, hugging them both tiredly, "Open some presents! Go on!"

James grinned at her as he reached for the largest one with his name on it- it was very light and squashy. The paper was charmed so that the snowmen were flashing, he almost didn't want to open it. But the draw he felt towards the package overrode the desire not to damge the wrapping. It was far nicer than anything he had ever received at the Dursleys. He ripped the paper off to reveal an odd silvery grey cloak. He held it unsurely in his hands.

"Try it on then," said Hermione, her face alight with anticipation. And James did so- and the reaction he got was unbelievable.

* * *

AGH? What has Hermione given James? What's up with the Longbottoms? Who was the family?

all will be answered soon- but only if your Review. I WON'T UPDATE UNLESS I GET 20 reviews from this chapter... maybe 15...

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

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	19. Chapter 18 : The Bug

Chapter 18-

"What!?" Rose was staring at James was standing, her mouth wide open like a confused fish. Marmaduke would be pleased…

"What?" James asked.

"MUM!" Rose shouted, "What did you do to him?"

"Don't worry Rosie," she said, ruffling her daughter's red hair up, "It's an Invisibility Cloak."

"I'm invisible?" James asked, looking down to see that he did infact have no body.

"How did you get one mum?" Rose whined, "They're really rare."

"It was your father's, James," Hermione said fondly, "He left it to me in the hope I would use it wisely. I thought you would like it- he got it for his first Christmas too."

"I- I love it, Hermione," James choked out, he was really speechless. The talk of his father suddenly reminded him of the family he had seen at the primary school, "Thank you."

"My pleasure," Hermione smiled, "Rosie, how about you open yours?"

Rose went to the tree, and picked out the largest present with her name on it. The paper was gold and red with a huge red ribbon on the top- James had a feeling he knew what the present would be. As Rose tore of the paper, his suspicions were confirmed. It was a book. However, by Rose's reaction to her present, it didn't appear to be just any old book. It quite old, James knew that much, and the cover was tarnished and brown- the gold lettering on the cover was peeling in places.

"_Cedric Conrad and the Coward's Execution_," Rose gasped, it seemed she had been anticipating this book, "Oh mum! Where on earth did you find this?"

"Oh, I have my ways Rosie," said Hermione, smiling at her daughter.

"What is it?" James asked. He had never heard of Cedric Conrad.

"It's a book-"

"Yeah, I got that far!"

"-Let me finish James!" scolded Rose, "It's a book about a boy called Cedric Conrad, he's a wizard and goes to Beauxbatons. This is the fifth one in the series- they were published _years_ ago! I have no idea where mum bought this from!"

"What happens to this Cedric bloke then?" James asked interestedly.

"Well, his parents are dead, and he's on a sort of battle to avenge them," said Rose, "Trying to discover why they died and stuff it's a really good read-"

"So he's basically me, only French and written fifty years ago?" James asked sulkily.

"Well, no-"

"How about we open another present?" Hermione interrupted, "James? This one came from the Dursleys."

She held out a large, poorly wrapped present the shape of a huge book. When he opened it, however, it turned out to be a black box, James opened it, to reveal some red and gold robes rather similar to the ones he himself wore for the Quidditch team. On top of it was another photograph- this time of a Quidditch team. In the photograph sat several people James recognised- his father sat smiling in the middle, he couldn't have been more than fifteen. On either side of him sat two identical twin boys- James supposed these were his Uncles Fred and George, George was almost unrecognisable in this photo from how he was as James knew him. Behind them sat two girls, both with black hair- one looked distinctly like Roxanne, perhaps this was Fred's mum? And behind them was another red-head, James recognised him with an unpleasant lurch- it was Ron Weasley.

"Whats that?" Rose asked him, and he handed her the photograph, before withdrawing the red and gold robes. They were, as he had expected, Quidditch robes, and on the back was written in shining gold letters _POTTER_, above an equally shiny number seven. James held them sadly- perhaps Dudley didn't realise how upset he would get by seeing them, but he suspected Carol had sent them despite this. He really did not like her.

"Hermione, are you alright?" James asked her, she had gone very pale, and her bottom lip was trembling- she didn't want to cry in front of them.

"I'm f-f-fine, James, d-d-don't worry," she said, sniffing a little, "Its just- what a horrible thing for your aunt and uncle to send to you!"

"Its fine!" James said quickly, not expecting this sudden flare up, "I mean- Dudley probably thought I'd like to see them- which I would… it makes it more real, you know?"

"Yes, James, I do," Hermione gave him a watery smile as Rose went to open the rest of her presents. She and James each got a knitted jumper from James' grandma- James' had a quaffle knitted into it- as well as some homemade fudge. Cygnus had sent James some anti-fogging Quidditch glasses, which he knew he would find useful. Uncle George sent a huge box of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products, including a years supply of dung-bombs. James doubted that his Aunt Angelina knew about that.

They were due at the Burrow at 2 o'clock for lunch, so they had hours to kill. Rose sat down in a squashy armchair by the fireplace to read her new book. James sat in the window under his invisibility cloak in his room, in the hope that he would not be disturbed. He had spent much of his time by the window recently, occasionally catching glimpses of the family he so longed to find out about. However, he hadn't seen them out together in a long time. At around eleven o'clock, he noticed the family of four, dressed in their Christmas best, heading down the neat little street in Kew, their arms laden with presents. Perhaps they were going to a party? The little girl- Rose had said her name was Lily?- suddenly dropped the presents she was carrying, and the dad stopped to help her.

"Its not them you know James," a calm voice spoke from behind him. Hermione put a hand on his invisible shoulder and pulled the cloak away, "I thought it was. I really did. I thought… I thought they had survived. That they had lost their memories that somehow they had come back. I was so sad when I first saw them. They reminded me of your parents so much, and the little boy of you. I thought you were dead. McGonagall told us all that you were and-" she sighed, "- I genuinely thought they were alive."

"I thought so too," James said quietly, "When I saw them the other day. I thought they were my parents." he paused for a moment, "Was my grandma called Lily?"

"She was," said Hermione, "Of course I never knew her- she died as your mother did." her tone changed suddenly from sympathetic and kind to quick and worried, "You can't let it happen again, James," she said breathlessly, "You can't. Don't put your faith in the wrong people. You can't trust anyone-"

"Are you talking about Rose's dad?" James asked suddenly, he blushed, realising he was being rather rude.

"I- I… James, please," said Hermione, "I know what you're thinking. I know you're trying to uncover the truth. You're too like your dad not to, I mean… Ron isn't Sirius Black." she said clearly, "He was never innocent. He will never be innocent. You have to stop using things in the past to discover the future- it just can't be done."

"Yeah," said James, "I wasn't planning to find him anyway. I mean… he's dangerous right?"

"That's the difference between you and your father James," said Hermione, "You actually use your brain."

James didn't take well to this comment. He hated being compared to his father. But most of all he hated being told bad things about him- of course he knew Hermione didn't mean it, she was his friend after all- but it didn't feel right.

"We should get going soon," said Hermione, "Your Grandma is expecting us for lunch."

"Don't you ever feel bad keeping Rose from her family?" James asked the question before he knew he had, and once he had, he didn't know why he had done it.

Hermione looked affronted for a moment, before smiling and saying, "I'd rather know she was happy as she was than know something which would make her miserable."

They arrived at the Burrow at 2 o' clock, apparently Hermione hated to be late. James met his Granddad, who was very nice, if a little odd, and his Uncle Percy, who was extremely pompous. Percy was Molly's dad, Molly was in James' year, but a Ravenclaw. Uncle George, Aunt Angelina and Fred were all there too, it was nice to see George again. James really got on well with him. His Grandma kept crying when James said certain things, which as Uncle George said, 'Put a damper on the occasion'.

Before lunch, James, Fred and Rose headed up to one of the unused bedrooms of the ramshackle Burrow. It was quite different from the Granger's house in Kew. It was incredibly tall and poorly put together, with bits sticking out all over the place. The garden was infested with garden gnomes, which were rather viscous. That was the main reason why they had headed to the top floor of the house, as the gnomes kept trying to bite James through the windows. They had chosen a room at the top of the house (the door had been locked, but Rose soon saw to that) which was painted bright orange. Fred was happy, he loved the Chudley Cannons. Rose wasn't so happy about the choice of room, but James had a good feeling about it…

The three of them discussed the missing stone (Marmaduke hadn't re-emerged with it yet). They discussed Ron Weasley- why had he been at Hogwarts? How had he got there? What was up with Longbottom?

"I reckon Longbottom won't tell because he's too scared of what Weasley will do to him," said Rose.

"But why?" James said, "He would just get arrested again! All he wants is to be free, to see his family-"

"He doesn't have a family," Fred said, stony faced, "And I thought you wouldn't want to stick up for the man who's the reason you have no parents."

"I know," said James, "But we're all human. He didn't mean it. I could see remorse in his eyes when he was shouting at Longbottom."

"You're too humane, James," said Rose, "If I were you I'd be ready to throttle him."

"We don't need more death," James replied coldly. There were footsteps coming up the stairs, and then a loud knock at the door.

Hermione poked her head through the door, "Lunch is read-" she stopped mid sentence, her eyes upon the three of them, sitting cross legged in the middle of the bright orange room. Her eyes seemed to well up.

"Mum?" Rose asked, getting up to hug her.

"I'm fine Rosie," said Hermione, pushing her away, "Lunch is getting cold. Come on now."

The three of them stood up and headed down the stairs to Christmas lunch- James had to admit that the food smelt more delicious than anything he had ever smelt before. James noticed as he sat down at the kitchen table that the entire Weasley family (and there were at least twenty of them) were wearing kitted jumpers. That was, all expect Percy. James could tell this was an issue with the Weasleys, as Uncle George was currently trying to force a particularly fetching yellow jumper over his head.

"Ow! George! Gerroff me!" Percy was squirming like a small child.

"Now now, Percy," George scolded him, "We've all bee telling you for years, you need some Christmas spirit!"

"and I've been telling you for years, George," said Percy, "That I'm too old to be forced to wear a kitted jumper by my little brother."

"To be fair Perce, you've never worn the jumper," said Uncle Charlie. He was a short stocky man with more scratches on his face than Uncle Bill- he worked with dragons, "Its nothing to do with your age."

"Too true," said Bill, "You've always been an old man at heart."

"Don't worry dear," Aunt Audrey was stroking his shoulder, "You're just more mature than these babies."

The rest of lunch continued thus. George's favourite hobby seemed to be berating Percy. Infact, he always seemed to be doing something, or talking to someone. However, James often found he was talking to him. Asking him about Quidditch, about school and about his childhood- James felt he couldn't ask George anything without mentioning his twin. He wasn't sure of George's position on Fred, and felt he didn't want to ask him about his Quidditch days, his work, his family life, or is school days. He ended up settling for talking about Hogwarts.

"- a swamp in the Charms corridor," George finished sadly, grinning ruefully at his son, before chucking a brussel sprout at his face. Roxanne and her mother groaned as Fred chucked one back at his juvenile father.

"This is how every Christmas lunch ends," Rose whispered in James' ears, "Food fight… that is, unless Molly stops it in time."

"Now, now," Grandma Molly chortled, "Lets just-" she stopped. There was a sound at the door. The entire Weasley family turned to the window to see who was there- but they couldn't see anyone.

"Come in!" Called Grandpa Arthur. The door creaked open slowly and in one swift motion, Bill, Charlie, George and Percy drew their wands- but they needn't have done, as the red stiletto heels of Rita Skeeter pranced into the messy kitchen of the Burrow.

"YOU!" shouted Hermione angrily, "Why are _you_ here?"

"I was invited in," said Skeeter menacingly, "But it would appear that I am gate crashing some kind of party."

"You are indeed," said Grandma Molly curtly, "We've just eating lunch."

"And how lovely it looks," said Skeeter, her voice sugary sweet, and her heavily made-up eyes upon the steaming vat of gravy on the table, "I was wondering if I might have a word with one of you? Ah," she said, looking at James, "That young man seems to be finished. How about I take a walk in the garden with him."

Skeeter's attempt to casually get James into the garden for an interview didn't fool anyone, nor did her pretence of not knowing his name. The entire adult Weasley clan's faces hardened, and they glared at Skeeter with a look of utter loathing.

"I don't mind," James said hurriedly, after all, he had finished. He started to get up.

"Sit back down," George growled at him, and James did so, scraping his chair loudly on the stone kitchen floor, "Children, please leave the table while I have a _little_ chat with Miss. Skeeter."

"Georgie, dear-" Grandma Molly began.

"No, mum," said George, "If you don't want to do this, then you can leave with the children."

George looked positively livid, and his face was glowing red. James didn't need telling twice, as he, Fred and Rose ran up the stairs with Molly, Lucy, Roxanne, Victoire, Louis and Dominique. They went into the first room they came to- which happened to be a girl's room. With a sad jolt, James realised that this room must have been his mums. The walls were bright, and the window had a lovely view of the snow covered garden below, gnomes and all.

"What was that about?" James asked his older cousins.

"That was Rita Skeeter," stated Lucy- she was only eight, making her the youngest of the Weasleys.

"Yes, we've met," James said unhappily.

"She reports for the Prophet," said Victoire, "Our whole family hates her because of the way she-" she stopped mid sentence, "-well, she wasn't terribly _sensitive_ towards certain family members."

"And what she said," said Louis, "Don't you remember the story Grandma told us about when the Minister-" Victoire shot daggers at her younger brother, who shut up immediately.

"Who cares why she's here!" Fred said, "We want to know what they're doing to her," and he pulled a long, flesh coloured piece of string from his pocket and waved it tantalisingly in front of their eyes, "Extendable Ear anyone?"

"_Extendable what_!?" James asked.

"Ear," said Fred, "Dad invented them when he was younger, sort of ironic really," he added, clapping a hand to his ear to show where his dad was missing one.

"How is _that_ ironic?" Rose asked him, and Fred shrugged, heading for the door, still dangling the Extendable Ear from his hand. The cousins all followed him from the cramped bedroom that had once been Ginny Weasley's, and into the even more cramped hallway. James watched as the Ear descended the stairs, and leant in to hear better what they were saying.

"-out!" screamed Uncle George, "You're not wanted! You've been nothing but trouble for this family, and if you don't leave right now I'll-"

"Kill me?" Skeeter asked snidely, "Wouldn't expect any more of a Weasley!"

"Now wait just one moment-"

"NO!" James recognised the voice of Hermione, as well as thundering footsteps, "How dare you? How dare you bring up that in this house! You have no right!"

"Sticking up for our hubby are we Granger?" Skeeter asked her, "Still love him do we?"

"You've crossed a line Skeeter," James recognised the calm, strong voice of Bill, "Leave, before we make you."

"Don't worry," said Skeeter, "I'll be gone before you can say _werewolf_!" she laughed manically, and James heard the clicking of heels and the slamming of a door, as well as copious tears- evidently coming from Hermione.

"I don't know what to do," she was sobbing, "Ever since Rose… oh! That foul woman!"

"Wait-" Charlie's voice was louder than any of the others had been, and there was a muffled bang on the end of the Ear, "George, isn't this one of those Ear-thingies?"

"Merlin!" George shouted, "FREDERICK GIDEON WEASLEY! IF THIS IS YOURS, IN THE NAME OF MERLIN'S SAGGY LEFT TEST-"

"George really!" Grandma Weasley scolded, "That's no way to speak to a-" and the line went dead. They had been caught, James could hear footsteps coming up the stairs.

"RUN!" James shouted, and the cousins scrambled, running in every direction possible. James, Fred and Rose headed for the room they had hidden in earlier, away from the adults before lunch. They resumed their position on the floor in the centre of the room.

"That was close, I mean-" Fred began, but James hushed him.

"Rose, are you alright?" he asked her soothingly, her eyes were pink and puffy as though she was holding back tears.

"How do you think I am?" she asked angrily.

"Pretty well," said Fred, "Considering you look like you're about to drown in tears."

Rose pulled an exasperated face, "But didn't you hear? What she said?"

Fred turned white as a sheet, as though they had said something terrible, and then shook his head, but James nodded slowly, "I know." he said simply, "I've known for a while. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you but-"

"Known what?" asked Fred, a look of utter bamboozlement on his face.

"Rose's dad is Ron Weasley."

* * *

DUN DUN DUN!!!!

yes i know it's short, but i have school all the time now! pluse i have exams and stuff

anyway, i won't update unless i get.... 40 reviews!!! hahaha.... nah maybe 30 if i have a good enough i idea!!! x x x x

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	20. Chapter 19 : The Traitor's Allegory

Chapter 19-

"WHAT!?"

"What?- wait… WHAT!?" Rose shouted.

"What?" said James, looking from Rose to Fred, "What did you hear? Because that's what I heard and-"

"My dad is Ron Weasley!?" Rose demanded, "And you knew!? Why didn't you tell me you git!?"

"I wanted to only-"

"Only what!?" said Rose, "You were scared I might _cry_ because I'm a girl, and we cry when we find things out that we don't like?"

"-only your mum made me promise not to tell you," James finished, Fred had a look a relief on his face, "Why do you look so happy?"

"Oh… no reason."

James looked at him suspiciously, "What did you think I'd heard?" he asked slowly, "Why were you so upset?"

"I just don't like hearing people shout, okay," said Rose, wiping away her tears.

"There's more to it than that," said James, "You shout more than anyone else I know- apart from Cygnus maybe."

"Well-"

"Don't tell him Rose!" Fred said suddenly, going bright red and clapping his hand to his mouth.

"I thought you didn't know either?" James said angrily, "What the bloody hell is going on!?"

"Its not mine to tell," said Rose quietly.

"Then whose is it?" said James, "Fred's?"

The two of them looked at each other sheepishly, "I want to tell you James," said Fred sadly, "I really do… only- only if I tell you, you won't want to be friends anymore. I know it."

"Fred mate," said James, clapping a hand to his shoulder, "I wouldn't care if it turned out you were part giant squid." they laughed for a moment.

"I… I'm a werewolf," Fred said slowly, and James took an involuntary step back, "See!" he shouted, "You're already scared of me! You're never going to speak to me again after this. You're going to tell everyone and I'm not going to be allowed back to bloody Hogwarts! You've ruined _everything_ James Potter!"

And with that, he stamped from the room, slamming the door behind him. The rickety room seemed to shake a little in the deathly silence between James and Rose. They stood entirely still- for how long James had no idea- until they spoke at the same time.

"You don't-"

"Have you-?"

"You first," said Rose.

"Ladies first," James grinned at her.

"You don't mind he's a werewolf do you?" Rose asked warily, "You're not like that are you? Only if you are now would be a good time to say-"

"I'm not scared he's a werewolf," said James, still grinning devilishly at her, "He's still ol' Freddie isn't he? He's still my mate. Still my cousin. Still yours for that matter," he added.

"I suppose he is," said Rose, giving him a watery smile, "We should check he's okay."

"Yeah," said James, "We don't want him massacring anyone while we're not looking." Rose shot him an icy glare, "Okay, okay- no jokes, I get it! Come on Rose," he said dramatically, "Our challenge awaits!"

He opened the door slowly, but they didn't have to go too far to find their friend- he was crouched on the floor outside the bedroom door. His eyes were puffy and wet- he had been crying. He looked up at them, and then back to the ground, "Go away," he sniffed, "I know you don't want to be here anymore James- you can go. I'll understand."

"I don't want to leave," said James, slumping against the wall beside Fred, "I'm perfectly happy where I am thank-you very much."

"Me too," said Rose, sitting down on Fred's other side, "And I've known for years. I don't mind."

"Yeah," said James, "You're still the same ol' Fred- you just have… a furry little problem."

"Furry little problem?" Fred chuckled, "Where did you get that from?"

"There's more to me than meets the eye," said James, grinning happily at them, "D'you want to tell me about it?" he asked carefully, not wanting to offend Fred.

"What about it?" Fred asked.

"How it happened, what it's like… how you cope-"

"It happened when I was five," said Fred quickly, obviously not wanting to dwell on the matter for too long, "Roxy and I were out in the forest behind our house- you know, playing and stuff- and Roxy said we should play hide and seek. So I decided to hide first, found a really good spot inside a hedge- I don't know how I did, dad thinks it must have been accidental magic- and she never found me. I could hear her calling for me- it was starting to get dark, see- but I so desperately wanted to win that I stayed quiet. Then she stopped calling, I suppose she must have gone to find mum or dad, and it was getting really dark. I could barely see, so I got scared and came out from behind the hedge and met two huge gleaming eyes," he gulped, obviously holding back his tears, "and then it lunged at me. Scratching me and biting me and- well, I suppose I must have been screaming, because dad came out. Then there was a bright light and… next thing I knew I was in my bedroom, aching all over and crying for my mum."

"Oh Freddie," Rose sighed and gave him a huge, wet, kiss on the cheek, "I didn't know that was how it happened."

"Well, it was," said Fred quickly, "I don't blame Roxy for it though," he added, answering James' unasked question, "We were only little, and I mean, how was she to know there was a ruddy great werewolf running round the wood? I think she blames herself though- very protective see."

"How do you… become your furry friend… while you're at school?" James asked him.

"I'm never really ill," said Fred, "Haven't you noticed I miss school once a month? Well, Professor Malfoy makes me this potion, called Wolfsbane, it makes me safe- you know, so I keep my head when I transform. I curl up in Professor Granger's office, just a wolf, and she stays with me over night."

"How can you talk so casually about it?" James asked his friend, "Anyone else would find it so hard-"

"I think you've been spending too much time with Cygnus, mate," said Fred, standing up fervently, "He's a total drama queen."

"Speaking of," said Rose, "Are we going to-?"

"Tell him?" asked Fred, "D'you think we can trust him?" They both looked at James. His immediate response was yes, he was their friend, they couldn't keep a secret like this from him. Then he remembered Cygnus' extreme blabber-mouth disease, meaning he couldn't be trusted with anything more than a sock.

"Dunno," said James.

"It depends if you want the entire school to find out," Rose said under her breath.

"He's not that bad," said James defensively, "He only tells stupid, petty things like who fancies who and stuff. He's not an idiot-"

"Sure fooled all of us-"

"-he wouldn't tell something so big," James finished.

"But wait until we're back at school," said Fred, "It has to be in person."

"Agreed," said James and Rose together, "By the way," James added, "Who else at school knows?"

"Malfoy," the two said in unison, it was a little spooky.

"WHAT!?" he shouted, but then James remembered something Malfoy had said all those months ago, _If you knew what I did, you wouldn't be so keen to stick up for him_. How did Malfoy know?

"His mum makes my potion remember?" said Fred, "She wouldn't dare keep such _juicy_ gossip from her precious little boy-"

"But then how does Skeeter know?"

"No bloody idea," said Fred, "But we have far more pressing issues- yes I know, I can use big words- is Rose expecting a visit from her father?"

Rose scowled and said angrily, "I doubt he ever remembers me, he's such a maniac!"

"He does," James said suddenly, "I heard him say so."

"When have you spoken to Weasley?" said Rose.

"Never," said James, "But I overheard him asking about you with Longbottom- who was a right git about it."

"But- but…" Rose stuttered, her bottom lip begun to quiver, "He's not supposed… no! No! You've RUINED everything!"

"What?"

"I was happier knowing he didn't care!" she screamed, "I was happier thinking I had some crazy dad who didn't care- not a crazy dad who did! He cared about us but he still did it! How could he?"

"How could he anyway," said James bitterly, "He's the reason they're dead."

"The reason who's dead?" a new voice asked, it was Grandma Molly, she had arrived at the top of the stairs with a tray of mince pies, "I heard raised voices and-" she saw the open door to the orange room behind the three of them, "Been in there have you? No wonder you were shouting. I haven't been in there for years."

"I wanted to see where my _dad_ used to sleep," said Rose, and Molly dropped the tray she was carrying.

"What?" she said obliviously.

"Don't pretend _Granny_," said Rose slyly, "You know. And now we do too."

"Oh Rosie!" Molly bawled, enveloping her granddaughter in a hug, then adding James to it soon after, "Oh, all my family in a hug at last!" she cried, sobbing into their chests.

"And what am I ?" said Fred indignantly, "A next door neighbour?"

Molly smiled sadly at him, "Of course not dear," she said, patting him on the back, "I've just had twelve years of hugs from you, haven't I?"

They said their goodbyes on Christmas Evening, promising letters to Fred and his family. George had managed to get extremely drunk on Firewhiskey, which was very entertaining for the younger generation- though James suspected there was something more sinister behind his antics, as he talked to Fred as though there were two of him, perhaps imagining that his son was his brother. Everything was so much less stilted now that the cat- or wolf- was out of the bag. Fred was more relaxed, and Hermione seemed a little more cheerful. Though James felt as though he was intruding, he knew that Rose and her mother needed to have a talk- one which he really shouldn't be there for. So when they arrived back to the house in Kew, he retired to his roomed, claiming to have eaten too many of his Grandma's mince pies.

He resumed his usual position, under his cloak by the window, watching the families coming out of relative's houses, and getting into their cars. Driving away. He didn't see the family again, though perhaps that was a good thing, it wasn't best for him to dwell on the past. On things that could not, and would not ever be true. He soon felt his eyes drooping, and drifted into a peaceful sleep- as he did so, he thought he could hear the muffled shouts of his aunt and cousin. His dreams were odd and disconcerting- perhaps due to too much Turkey at Christmas lunch. He was in a forest, being chased by Fred, who then morphed into Professor Longbottom. Longbottom then admitted to murdering James' parents, who then appeared saying they had never been dead. Just when things seemed to be going well, and woman in a long black cloak appeared- she pointed her wand at James, his father dived in front of him, there was a flash of green light and…. He woke up.

It was early morning, as the sky was blotted with orange spots of sunrise. The window pane, against which James was leaning, was misted up, and freezing cold. James felt his cheek, which was cold and wet with sweat. It was only a dream. James was still breathing heavily as he disentangled himself from his invisibility cloak and tried to straighten his hair- though he knew he was fighting a losing battle. Hermione and Rose couldn't have been up yet, as the house was deathly quiet- James heard the sounds of a passing car. He slipped on his muddy shoes and a hoodie, tiptoed down the stairs and into the hallway- the cat flap was swinging loudly in the doorframe, Marmaduke must have had the same idea as James.

He quietly opened the front door, being careful not to make too much noise as he closed it again, and sneaked along the gravel path, past the lawn, which was heavy with frost. Then, from nowhere, James heard something- a cough. He spun around on his heels, scouring the garden for sign of another person, but he saw nothing. Suddenly, a pair of hands clasped around his waist. He cursed so loudly that a bird in a nearby tree flew away.

"That's no way to greet me in the morning," Rose said brightly, "Why are you out here?"

"Fancied a walk," James replied, "You?"

"Similar motives," said Rose, "Did you just hear that noise?"

"I thought it was you," said James, "D'you know who it was."

"Nope," said Rose, "I thought it was you- the only other thing in the garden is Marmaduke, and it sounded too human to be him."

"Yeah," said James, "Wanna find out who it was?"

Rose looked worried for a moment, but then grinned widely, "Whats life without a little adventure?"

The two of them walked together silently, scanning the surrounding area for signs of life. But everything was oddly still, as though a silencing charm had been cast around the entire garden. James extracted his invisibility cloak from his jeans pocket, "Wanna put it on? As a precaution…"

"Of course," said Rose, ad the two of them slipped under the cloak. It was far warmer inside their new layer than outside it, but there breath still fogged in front of their faces, steaming up James' glasses. There was a small CRACK from underfoot, as Rose stood on a twig. They stopped together suddenly.

"Psst," a voice was calling from behind a hedge, "Psst!"

"How do they know we're here?" Rose whispered frantically.

"Only one way to find out," replied James, taking a bold step closer to the talking bush, "Who are you?"

"Come in here," the voice replied, it was gruff and gravely, "And take off that bloody cloak would you?"

"How do you know about the-?"

"I've used the bloody cloak haven't I you prat," the voice replied, "Now both of you get in here before I… well, you probably have more power to sway Hermione now than I do but-"

"Excuse me," said Rose, "But who are you?"

"Come in here!" the voice commanded, and James shrugged before taking another step towards the bush. Rose put out a hand to stop him.

"How do we know you won't hurt us?" she asked timidly.

"Because I haven't got a bloody wand," said the man, "and even if I had, if either of you are anything like your parents you'd beat me hands down!"

James tugged Rose by the arm, and dived into the hedge- he was surprised to find it was hollow, but not as surprised as he was to find who was inside.

"YOU!" James roared angrily, diving towards the shaggy man, "Why are YOU here?"

"Wait- OW! -just," said the man, "Enough!" he roared, and James fell silent.

"Why are you here?" Rose asked him, and the man lifted a tousled sleeve to his blue eyes to wipe away a tear as she spoke.

"So like your mother," he said sadly, before turning to James, "And you, so like Harry-"

"Don't you dare mention my dad in front of me!" James said angrily, "You lost the right to say my parents names the night you gave them in to Triste!"

Weasley looked taken aback by James' harsh words, "That's why I'm here," he said slowly, "To tell you I'm sorry. To tell you I'm innocent."

"If you're innocent then why are you sorry?" Rose asked harshly, "If you're _really_ innocent then we should be apologising to you!"

"You have nothing to apologise for, Rose," said Weasley, and through his gaunt, unhappy face, a tired smile shone through, "Its my fault that Harry and Ginny are dead-"

"Well you're not bloody innocent then, are you?" James shouted.

"Let me finish," said Weasley calmly, "Its my fault they're dead- but not directly. I made them switch Secret Keepers at the last moment."

"You're really lying now," Rose spat, "You're just using Sirius Black's story as your own- mum told me the whole thing."

"You're too smart for your own good, you know that Rose," said Weasley, "And Sirius Black's story is the exact reason why I made them switch. It was perfect. Triste would never expect them to make the same mistake as Harry's parents- she would assume that I would be Secret Keeper, so that's what we told everyone. That I was. So when the real Secret Keeper blabbed, I was blamed. They called the Aurors on me, and before I could explain, I was sent to Azkaban. No trial. You would have thought they'd learned from what happened with Sirius, but they didn't. They trusted that _git_ too much. They knew I had a hot temper. They thought I was the Secret Keeper, and no one was alive to tell them otherwise."

"Mr. Weasley?" Rose said timidly, and Weasley shuddered a little as his daughter addressed him thus, "If you weren't the Secret Keeper, then who was?"

"Longbottom," said Weasley angrily.

"_In his best interests_!" James said suddenly, everything made sense. It was all so far fetched, yet- it seemed to fit. It was so logical, how oddly Longbottom acted around James and Rose- perhaps it was guilt rather than genuine dislike? The way they hadn't given him a fair trial- it was so… right. It seemed to fit perfectly with everything he had heard, everything he had seen. He believed him. The look of pain on the man's face showed innocence.

"What?" said Ron, "Where did you hear that?"

"At Hogwarts," said James, "You were in the greenhouse with Longbottom, and he said, '_The only reason why I'm not handing you to the Aurors is because_-"

"-_It's in my best interests_," Ron finished, "So you believe me?"

"But why would things be different this time?" Rose asked, "Why wouldn't they just send you back to Azkaban?"

"Because I would have you two on my side," said Ron, and a ghostly smile crept onto his sunken face.

"But who would believe two eleven year olds?" James asked, "- that doesn't mean we definitely believe you or anything, I'm still undecided but-"

"They won't," said Ron, "But if you can vouch for me long enough for them to slip some Veritaserum into Longbottom's gob then-"

"Veritaserum?" James asked, "Whats that?"

"Truth potion," Rose replied immediately, "It forces the drinker to spill all of their secrets. Mum keeps some in her potions cabinet-"

"-Next to the fridge," Ron finished, "Its funny, I lived in that house for three years." There was silence in the hedge for a few moments. It was getting brighter and there were specks of light falling on their faces through gaps in the thick foliage.

"Why didn't you go mad in there?" Rose asked suddenly, "In Azkaban- mum said everyone goes mad."

"I took Sirius Black's advice," said Ron quietly, "It sounds silly, but I remembered what he said when he first said he was innocent to us. He said the only reason he didn't go mad was because of the knowledge that he was innocent, and so long as he knew that, he knew who he was-" there was a sound of the front door opening, "I should go," Ron said hurriedly.

Rose smiled at him, "But where will you go now?"

"Wherever the wind takes me, love," he said, smiling at her, "I'll never be too far away. Work on my innocence with your mother will you? As my dad always said, _The Truth Will Out._"

"Of course we will," said James, pulling out his cloak again, "Bye Uncle Ron."

"Bye James," said Ron, grinning broadly at the two of them, "Bye Rose."

"Bye dad," Rose said quietly, as she and James clambered out of the hedge under the cloak and headed back towards the house.

* * *

HAHA!!! Things just got interesting.... i get that my ask of 40 reviews last time was a little steep... how bout 25? love you!!! x x x

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	21. Chapter 20 : Hogsmeade

"- and the possible reason for Beedle's motives in this piece are what?" Binns droned, before scanning the back of the classroom, "Mr. Weatherby?"

"Its Weasley sir," Fred said boredly.

"WHAT!?" shrieked Binns, throwing his ghostly head in the direction of the window, "Where?"

"Here, me!"

"You're not Weasley!" cried their teacher, "You're far too young! You should know better that to talk to you elders like that, in my day-"

"He's Fred Weasley, sir," said Cygnus, who was laughing silently under his textbook.

"But he's dead, died right here in school, I would have liked that one as a ghost… never a good student, pity really-" and Binns continued to ramble about that many promising students he had witnessed in his one hundred years of teaching. James was glad of the excuse to lie down and rest- he hadn't slept much in the week which had passed since Christmas. He and Rose had, of course, filled Fred and Cygnus in on everything Ron had said to them early that morning on Boxing Day. Cygnus took rather longer to convince than Fred, but he had always been a sceptic for these sorts of things. They had agreed not to tell any adults until they had decided what to do- because they would either not believe them, or make them tell them where Ron was hiding. Of course, none of them knew, but that wouldn't be enough to convince the steely eyes of Professor McGonagall. They had told Cygnus about Fred's lycanthropy also, and, much to everyone's surprise (especially James'), was now incredibly protective over his friend. He would follow him everywhere, stick up for him in fights, he'd even hexed Scorpius Malfoy in the corridor on the way to breakfast that morning.

Fred was happier than James had ever seen him, perhaps having nothing to hide took a weight off his shoulders and allowed him to be carefree. However James couldn't help looking at the date continuously, the full moon was in just over a week. He just wished that there was someway he could be there for his friend, because, although Fred would know not to hurt James, it still wasn't safe for him to be around a werewolf- tame or not. Rose had told him to give up, after all, there was nothing he could so. James was instead focussing all his energy on finding a subtle way to get Longbottom to confess to his crimes- though this proved far more difficult that he anticipated. The man was never alone, he was either teaching a class, or talking to a fellow teacher- James couldn't help but feel that he knew that the four of them knew his secret.

"-three rolls of parchment on the matter, please," Binns finished, "Class dismissed."

"Hey Rosie," James whispered to her over Cygnus, "Can I copy?"

"Fine!" she hissed at him, one thing he had noticed was that Rose was far more submissive nowadays. He gathered together his things before heading from the room with his friends to break. It was a cold day, even for January, and although the snow that iced the castle was beginning to thaw, it was too bitter to spend too much time outside. It was a shame they had Herbology next lesson.

"Library?" Rose asked the three boys as they passed the corridor beside it.

"Who would want to go in there?" sneered Miranda Lough, who was a Gryffindor in their year.

"Don't worry about them, Mandy," replied Amelia Kenny, who was also in their year, "Its just those Weasley nerds!" she added in a carrying whisper. Now that stabbed James like a knife- all his life he and Cygnus had been the ones everyone admired, wanted to be like, wanted to be friends with… and now they were nerds? That was so not on.

"Don't be so cruel," said Daisy Jones, "Though that Potter is rather arrogant- strutting around like he owns the place, but he's far from nerdy-"

"I am not arrogant!" James said suddenly, striding purposefully towards her, "And I do not strut!"

"And I'm not a nerd," Cygnus piped in from behind.

"I never said either of _you_ were," said Daisy, "I called you arrogant, and you're a Black, not that its much better-"

"They called us nerds," said Fred, pointing at Miranda and Amelia, who were laughing callously from behind their friend.

"Wonder why," said Miranda, as she and Amelia began to saunter off to break, "Coming Daise?"

"One minute," Daisy said quietly, before hissing, "You two are far from nerdy," she pointed at James and Cygnus, "Because you've never done an honest day's work in either of your lives. You think you can have it all handed to you because of your families-" she stopped herself, as she watched James' face fall. He hated people talking about his family. He hated it even more when they spoke of them in a cruel way.

"You went too far," said Rose, drawing her wand, the two red-heads were mere inches from each other, "Now get out of our sight before I _hurt_ you."

Daisy didn't need telling twice, she turned on her heels and ran for dear life away from the four of them.

"You okay James?" Fred asked him.

"Never better," he said quietly, as they walked into the library- though no one noticed Cygnus' smile falter at the mention of a family. He gazed solemnly along the hall for a moment before shutting the door quietly behind himself.

Herbology was a far from cheerful affair, and it was all James could do to stop himself from lunging at Longbottom. Now he knew what the teacher had done, well, it was almost impossible to not be angry when he saw the little smirk on his face. His expressionless eyes staring deeply, analysing everything, scrutinising James' every move. He was almost certain that he knew… but how? It wasn't like Longbottom wasn't intelligent, but he had no reason to believe that the four of them knew anything at all. Of course, now Rose's secret was out, he could be far more obviously cruel to her. It was just a good thing that he was polite enough not to mention Fred's furry little problem for the whole class to hear.

"-if we could just go to McGonagall," said Cygnus, "What d'you reckon James, sounds like a good plan?"

"Wha-?" James began, he had no idea what Cygnus had just said.

"What plan is this?" Longbottom's sneer appeared from behind the four of them, James was almost happy to see his unpleasant face, just because he wouldn't have to embarrass himself, "It doesn't sound Herbology related, does it Mr. _Black_?" his tongue clicked menacingly as he pronounced Cygnus' last name.

"That's because it wasn't," said Cygnus, grinning wildly.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for cheek," said Longbottom, "It won't happen again will it?"

"No," said Cygnus.

"No, _sir_," said Longbottom.

"There's no need to call him sir, Professor," said James- he instantly clapped his hand to his mouth. He didn't know what had compelled him to say it, but all the same he did. It seemed as though the entire class had started to listen to their conversation as there was a collective intake of breath from many of his classmates. Though for a moment, Professor Longbottom's hard face seemed to loosen- almost smile- before returning to it's usual stony expression.

"Another ten points from Gryffindor, Potter," he hissed, "Return to your work."

The rest of the lesson continued on an even more sour note than it had been on previously- if that was possible. Though over the next few days James found himself observing Longbottom more than was probably normal- he noticed odd personality switches in their teacher, he would change from a sneering, unpleasant character, to a kindly faced man who looked ready to help anyone, in the blink of an eye. Though the latter was far less common than the former, James felt that Longbottom could be more easily confronted when he was in a better mood. How he would find him in one for long enough, James was not sure.

Cygnus seemed far more resigned throughout the next few weeks- whether this was due to Fred's 'illness' or the upcoming Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match, James had no idea. What he did know, was that his best friend was looking severely downbeat- only James noticed, as Cygnus was gifted at hiding his emotions, and had a false smile plastered on his face. Yet another thing to add to James' list of things to sort out- sometimes he felt that he had to do everything, or it would never get done. Especially with Rose in such a slump at the moment- she had even missed out on two homework's from Professor Malfoy, much to the delight of their potions teacher's son.

"Y'all right mate?" James seized a moment with Cygnus while Fred and Rose were both serving detention with Filch (caught out of bed after hours, something James was no longer familiar with thanks to his invisibility cloak). This was one of the first times in weeks the two friends had been alone together.

"Yeah," Cygnus replied brightly, "I'm just worried about my Herbology essay, what if-"

"Don't be an arse Cyg," James said hurriedly, "When have you ever cared about homework? There must be something wrong."

"Nothings wrong," Cygnus said forcefully, "I just feel I should do more work-"

"If you're so keen on doing more work," James said slyly, "You won't mind me sneaking off around the castle in my invisibility cloak without you, will you?"

James saw a flicker of anguish dash across his best friend's face, "You know I can't resist an opportunity for rule breaking Jamie-poo, that's not fair!"

"Life's not fair, Black," said James, withdrawing the silvery cloak from the pocket of his robe. He thought he heard Cygnus mutter something along the lines of 'you can say that again', but thought nothing of it. The two of them slipped under the invisibility cloak (James had to crouch to avoid showing his feet) and out of their dormitory door. The walked carefully down the stairs and into the over-crowded common room, then out of the portrait hole- still unseen. They shuffled down corridor after corridor, looking for exciting portraits, secret passageways and the like. It seemed as though an hour had passed when-

"Look!" Cygnus shouted, "Here-" he was pointing to a spot on the wall where a tiny golden placard was hanging,

_On this spot, Frederick Gideon Weasley was killed on 2nd__ May, 1998_

_his brother George repaired the wall on this spot in the hope that his twin's memory lives on for future pranksters across Hogwarts._

'_solemnly swear you are up to no good-' George Fabian Weasley, 1999_

'_-and your mischief will never be managed' Harry James Potter, 1999_

James stared silently at the golden placard for a few moments- if only Fred was here. But James didn't want him to be, infact, for a moment he wished that Cygnus wasn't there either. They were in a place for dead people- how ironic, that the man commenting on a friend's death would he himself die in several years time. Fate was cruel.

"That's… nice," Cygnus said quietly.

"No its not," said James, "Its horrible."

They were silent for a few more moments, the only sound of their breath fogging up on the inside of the cloak. They could hear faint footsteps drawing closer, coming round the corner. James drew a sharp intake of breath, sure that he and Cygnus would be caught- but they weren't . Professor Longbottom did not notice the invisible boys, who stood aside as he stopped on the spot where they had just been standing. He stared at the plaque for a moment, before clearing his throat and saying in a deep voice,

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

Then, the floor seemed to be shaking, the very walls felt as though they would cave in- infact, It looked at though they were. The wall on which the placard was hung was disintegrating, and behind it was a dark stone passageway, lit with torches on the walls. James and Cygnus looked at each other in awe- now this was a development. He yearned to see what lay at the other end of the tunnel, and so waited for Longbottom to begin his descent, and allowed the chamber to reseal itself.

James and Cygnus shuffled towards the placard and said together, "We solemnly swear we are up to no good."

And it had a similar effect. The walls disappeared, and in their place was a dark tunnel, which James and Cygnus headed down, ripping off the cloak as they did so- no one could see them in this light. As they walked, James couldn't help but wonder where Longbottom was sneaking off to at this time of night. It couldn't be anywhere in the school grounds- the tunnel was too long. It seemed to be taking hours to walk along, but he didn't mind. He relished his fatigue, and he was kept awake by the idea that he could find some dirt on his least favourite teacher- the teacher who had killed his parents.

The tunnel continued to wind on through the underground, still lit by flaming torches. It must have been getting seriously late, as James could feel his eyelids drooping.

"Do you reckon we'll be there soon?" he asked Cygnus.

"Huh?"

"D'you reckon we'll be at the end of the tunnel soon?" but he needn't have asked, as a flight of stairs suddenly came into view not one hundred metres from where the two eleven year olds were walking. They pulled their wands from their pockets, and ran towards the stone stairs. They were incredibly steep- James suspected that they were very deep underground. The clambered up the stairs, and a the top were met by a heavy wooden door. For safety, they pulled the invisibility cloak over themselves, before opening the door slowly.

It creaked loudly as it opened, and as they peered around the door, they realised they were at the base (or in the base) of a very old oak tree. They pulled themselves out at the same time, careful not to let the cloak slip from on top of them, just in time to see a cloaked figure disappear around the corner of a tall building nearby. They straightened up, before heading after the cloaked man, which was most likely Professor Longbottom- what could he be doing this late at night? And anyway, teachers were allowed to leave the school grounds whenever they wanted, why would he use the secret passage? He was almost certainly up to no good.

"Where are we?" James whisperd to Cygnus as they trotted after their wayward Professor.

"I think this must be Hogsmeade," Cygnus whispered back, "We're not allowed here until third year."

"Well, looks like _we_ are," James said, grinning at his friend, "Thank Merlin for the invisibility cloak," His friend let out a bark like laugh, "What?"

"You said 'thank Merlin'," said Cygnus, who was laughing more than was really necessary, "You're too easily influenced, mate."

"Look who's talking," said James, raising an eyebrow, "I'm not the one who was persuaded into sneaking into Hogsmeade instead of having an early night."

Cygnus stuck his tongue out at James, as they continued down the main street of Hogsmeade. It was very pretty, even in the almost complete darkness. The little houses and shops were neatly lined up, selling the most incredible things, James also spotted a branch of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes- not hard to miss, as it was bright orange and had sparks flying from the roof.

They watched their teacher hurry down the main street, continuously looking over his shoulder to ensure he was not being followed. He suddenly diverted down a little alleyway, which led to a beaten old track. James and Cygnus followed him, trying hard to keep up, and found themselves face to face with a very old looking pub with a sign swinging from the front reading _The Hog's Head_. James could distinctly smell goat droppings.

"Mum told me about this place," Cygnus whispered, a slight grimace at the mention of his mother, which James skated over, "Owned by Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth I think mum said. He must be getting on a bit… well, a lot by now. He must be well over 150. I don't think he can look after it so much anymore- gone a bit mad see."

"Is that why it stinks of goat?" James asked.

"Nah," replied Cygnus, "It's always been like that."

James had to stifle his immediate laughter as they crept into the pub. The smell of goat only increased at they got into the dark, dank bar. There was an incredibly old and frail man standing behind the bar, James supposed that must have been Aberforth. He stared at the spot where he and Cygnus were standing, his crystal blue eyes piercing him like a knife. James thought for a moment he could see through their disguise- but his eyes soon moved to Professor Longbottom, who was standing worriedly in front of the bar.

"Evenin' Neville," said Aberforth croakily, "The usual?"

"Not to night, Abe," Longbottom replied, his voice was far kinder than James remembered it to be, "Someone waiting for me?"

"Nice ginger bloke, yeah," replied Aberforth, "Recognised him from somewhere I think-"

"Excellent," said Longbottom, wringing his hands, his face exposed in a wide grin, "Which room?"

"One of the upstairs ones, if that's alright," replied Aberforth.

"Even better," said Longbottom, "Don't want to be over heard."

And he set off up the stairs behind the bar, James and Cygnus followed silently behind him. When they arrived at the top of the stairs, Longbottom was just closing the door. James shoved his foot in it, and Longbottom looked oddly at it, but shrugged. The door opened enough for Cygnus and himself to shuffle through. It was all James could do to stop Cygnus from yelping with surprise when they saw who was sitting in the room. Ron Weasley.

"Glad you came," said Ron, standing up menacingly, he towered over Longbottom, "Didn't think you would."

"Well I didn't think Abe would let you in," replied Longbottom, his voice filled with laughter more than anything else, "He really must be going barking."

"You can say that again," said Ron. James was honestly astonished- they seemed to be having an actual conversation, without jumping down each other's throats. He was speechless- not that he could have said anything anyway.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm… different," Longbottom said, choosing his words carefully.

"Actually, I am," said Ron, "Haven't seen you this cheerful in years- not that you deserve happiness, evil git." Ah… there was the hostility James was looking for.

"I… I'm so sorry," said Longbottom, "For everything. But I want you to know- _I _never joined Triste-"

"You dare say your mistress's name?" Ron said viciously, "You're less of a coward than I thought."

"I am not a coward," Longbottom said, his voice strained, "I don't have much time… look, I need to let you know, I want you free too. I never betrayed Harry and Ginny-"

"You dare say their names?" Ron hissed, "You lost that right when you betrayed them."

"I didn't want to," said Longbottom, "And when I'm free, I'll tell them the truth- I…" his voice contorted in a disconcerting manner, and then suddenly, his terrified, remorseful expression turned to one of utter hatred, "I'll have to go now, _Weasley_," he said curtly, his voice incredibly different, as though he was a different person, "I hope never to see you again- until you're in jail."

"What happened to you Nev?" Ron said suddenly, his voice full of worry.

"Nothing," replied Longbottom, "I should really be asking you that question- Good evening." and he stormed from the room without a further word to Ron. James could hear him slamming the door of the bar downstairs. He pulled off the cloak.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?"

"AGH!?" Ron screamed, pointing at the spot where James and Cygnus had just appeared, "How the bloody hell did you get here? And who in the name of Merlin is this?" he pointed at Cygnus.

"We came through the passage where Fred died," replied Cygnus, "And I'm Cygnus Black."

"_You're_ Cygnus Black?" Ron laughed, "Of course you are… of course you're a bloody Black-"

"What was up with Longbottom?" James asked his uncle suddenly, "He seemed positively… _nice_…"

"I don't have a clue do I?" Ron replied, slumping into a chair, "He hasn't been like that in years, I can tell you… not since a few months before he betrayed your parents to Triste, James, anyway."

James nodded sadly at him, "But he sounded so convinced that he was innocent- I almost believed him."

"I reckon he's addled his own brains," said Ron, "Changing his personality like that… well… I still think he's a bloody traitor."

"Then why were you being so nice to him?" James asked.

"If I'm nice and he's mad," said Ron, "Then he might confess and I'd be free!"

"And if he doesn't?" Cygnus asked.

"Well, nothing's lost is it?" Ron said smugly, "I can just get you two to help me instead- hows that going by the way?"

"Not too well," said James truthfully, "I just don't think anyone would trust four eleven year olds."

"Four?" Ron asked him, "Who's the fourth?"

"Fred Weasley," said Cygnus.

"Ah," said Ron, smiling sadly, "George's kid- don't think he could plead my case with his dad do you? George always seemed to believe me."

"George is a nice man," James said, "A little loopy… but nice."

"Well," said Ron, "That's what loosing a twin can do to you… and loosing a sister," he smiled that rueful smile that was so common amongst the Weasley family, "How's Rosie doing?"

"Well," James lied, "A little shell shocked, but otherwise-" he stopped, he could hear footsteps coming up the stairs, "We should go. Its late, and we have school tomorrow."

"Go then," said Ron, "I'll be fine, don't worry. I'll see you two soon okay- hopefully by then I'll be free."

James smiled at him as he and Cygnus pulled the cloak over themselves, though he couldn't help but feel pessimistic about his Uncle's chances of freedom.

James eyelids fluttered feebly. It was early morning, and he was sure he must have had less than three hours sleep. They had arrived back at Hogwarts at around dawn and James must have fallen asleep right away, as he was collapsed on his bed fully clothed.

"Rough night?" Fred grinned down at him, "I heard you two coming in- Where'd you get off to?"

"Hogsmeade," James said proudly, "Found a really good secret passageway- we'll show it to you sometime."

"Wow," said Fred enviously, "Hogsmeade."

"But that's not the best bit," said James, "You have to hear what we saw when we were there-" and he filled Fred in on a very brief version the night's events.

"Wow," Fred said again, "What a night- why did I have to have a stupid Detention?"

"Because you don't have an invisibility cloak," replied James, ruffling his friend's hair, "Come on, breakfast soon- I'm starved!"

The two of them hurried down the stairs into the overcrowded common room, everyone was crowded around Teddy Lupin, there was something interesting happening-

"Weasley's been seen in Hogsmeade!" said a burly fifth-year boy, "Out on the outskirts of town- by the Hog's Head."

"But how could he just have arrived there, and then disappeared?" asked Teddy.

"He could have disapparated!" called a second year.

"Not without a wand he couldn't," Teddy pointed out, "And anyway, why Hogsmeade? Why would he go to the most heavily wizard populated village in England?"

James caught Cygnus' eye from across the common room. They knew exactly why Ron Weasley had been in Hogsmeade the previous night


	22. Chapter 21 : The Owlery

Chapter 21-

The news of Ron Weasley's sudden Hogsmeade appearance was spreading like wildfire. Rita Skeeter, James' least favourite new reporter had managed to release a particularly sinister article on the matter involving Hermione meeting with Ron in a room above the Hog's Head. James, Cygnus, Fred and Rose were the only people in the country (bar the accused and Professor Longbottom) who knew that this was a lie. Hermione's classes were no better for it, and even Rose was finding it difficult to take notes on Transfiguring rats into water goblets with all the background distraction- particularly from Malfoy, who seemed to take pleasure in insulting the Weasley family in any way possible.

"So, Gra- _Weasley_," he sneered on one particularly wet Tuesday afternoon, "When's daddy moving back into your house- I mean hovel-"

"-come off it Malfoy," said James grumpily, "The Granger's place is far bigger than most- its far from a hovel. Perhaps you've spent too much time with Riddle. I hear his parents live in… what was it _one room_."

Jack Riddle, who was in Malfoy's gang, squirmed a little in his seat.

"Well," said Malfoy snidely, "At least Jack _has_ parents to live with. Not that it would matter anyway, your parents didn't love you enough to stay alive."

That did it. He could deal with jibes at his sanity, jibes at his intelligence, jibes at his Quidditch skill- but jibes at his parents were one thing that James could not deal with. He drew his wand faster than Rose and Fred could stop him- faster than Malfoy could draw his own. He pointed it squarely in Malfoy's face, a flicked it lightly in his hand. Instantly, where there had been a nose before, Scorpius Malfoy now had a very large, very pink, pig's snout.

"Potter!" he screamed, looking cross eyed and clutching his newly extended nose with both hands.

"What seems to be the- oh my goodness!" Hermione appeared behind the six first years, looking very pale and very shocked indeed, "James Potter!" she gasped, "What on earth have you done? Riddle, please take Mr. Malfoy to the Hospital Wing- I will deal with James myself," she added, noticing Riddle drawing his wand. The two Slytherins left the room hurriedly, Malfoy clutching his snout and muttering darkly as he went.

"James, what possessed you to do such a thing?" she asked briskly.

"He insulted my parents," said James, "No one should be allowed to do that."

"But was turning his nose into a pig snout the right way to punish him?"

"I thought it was a pretty good way, yeah," James said suddenly, he didn't know what had inspired his sudden confidence, "He looks better that way. More like the animal he is."

Cygnus let out a bark of laughter at this, while Fred stared darkly at his friend. James could tell Hermione and Rose were holding back their laughs, they just needed someone to speak first.

"Right then James," said Hermione, "I'm afraid I'm forced to put you in detention," James groaned, "However- I shall award 50 points to Gryffindor for a remarkable piece of Transfiguration."

James grinned broadly at her. Most of the class had turned to watch this exchange, and he thought he saw Daisy smile at him slightly from behind her textbook. She was probably just glad that he'd earned some house points for Gryffindor for once. He grinned back at her, though Amelia noticed and scowled at him.

"That was bloody brilliant James!" were the words Cygnus couldn't help himself repeating over and over again over the next few lessons. In Potions, he even managed to spill his concoction all down Chloe Watt's front, much to the delight of James and Fred. To be honest, he wished that she wasn't in their class at all- they had far too many lessons with the Slytherins. Especially when their potions teacher was the mother of one of James' worst enemies.

After lunch they had Herbology, so the Gryffindors decided to get as much enjoyment as possible out of the day before it was crushed by their unfair and unstable teacher. Of course Rose now knew about everything that Professor Longbottom had said at the Hog's Head. Even she could not just say that Longbottom was acting to get information from Ron on how to catch him-

"There must be something wrong with him," she kept saying decisively.

"He could be possessed?" Fred suggested.

"No, there are obvious signs of possession, and Longbottom isn't exhibiting _any_ of them- its something _far_ more sinister," said Rose.

"I know all about sinister," Cygnus said suddenly, James almost thought he hadn meant to say it.

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"Come off it Jamie," said Cygnus, "There's something sinister about everything. Malfoy, Longbottom, me."

"There's nothing remotely sinister about you, Cygnus," said Rose comfortingly.

"That you know of," said Cygnus, standing up, "I'm off to the owlery. Anyone care to join me?"

He was obviously expecting no one to stand up with him, so his expression was of utter surprise when James stood up and headed for the portrait hole.

"Well?" he said grumpily, "Are you coming or not?"

They were silent the entire way to the owlery, even when they ran into Peeves the Poltergeist, who attempted to drop Dung bombs on their heads. James chucked a stone at him and he soon calmed down.

"What up with you at the moment?" James asked his friend as they climbed the steep steps of the owlery. He couldn't bare the silence any longer.

"Nothing."

"Well, there's blatantly _something_," said James, "You can't put on a brave face and fool me, Cyg. I know you too well."

"Maybe I just don't want to tell you," said Cygnus.

"Maybe you _should_ want to tell me," said James, "Come on! Its me! If I can't know, who can?"

"No one," said Cygnus, "That's the point."

"Fine," said James, "But I can't be bothered to be best mates with someone who can't even tell me whats wrong. Its not fair on us, Cygnus. We're your friends, we care about you."

Cygnus remained unhappy looking, and James could have sworn he saw his mouth move saying, 'that makes someone'. He decided to discard this possible comment, after all, if Cygnus didn't want to share, he couldn't force him to. They entered the cold a breezy owlery, and James immediately headed to where Luna, his owl, was perched on a beam. She had a small letter attached to her foot, which James took. It was odd that she hadn't come to find him that morning at breakfast.

_Dear James,_

_Something happened here and I thought you should know about it. You see, mum was out yesterday shopping, and she ran into Andromeda Black- she looks unwell. But the weird thing was that she was having some massive fight with a man. I thought that was pretty embarrassing, especially for a woman like her! Apparently she hasn't been the same since you left for Hogwarts. Mum recognised the man from somewhere, and was wondering if you could ask Cygnus if he knows this man. You know how mum likes the gossip. I was wondering how to write to you, and then Luna (this owl) just appeared- she's so funny looking!_

_It was weird not having you here for Christmas, but I loved my present! It was great fun, but granddad wasn't so keen. He set fire to it- maybe you could get me another one? Apparently your family was rich- grandma doesn't stop going on about it. Is there anything interesting going on a school? Mines pretty much the same- but, its my birthday next week, which should liven things up! I got onto the school boxing team- dads really proud, but mum doesn't really care. She seems to be obsessed with Mrs. Black at the moment- its as though she's possessed!_

_See you in the holidays,_

_Dunstan_

_**I know what you did last night**_

James couldn't believe that Dunstan had bothered to write to him. He had always seemed so hostile towards James leaving for Hogwarts, but maybe he had a heart after all. What was oddest though, was Dunstan's note at the bottom of the letter, it wasn't in his handwriting- nor could he _possibly_ know what James had done last night. That boy really was strange sometimes. He fed Luna some nuts, and she nibbled his finger affectionately. It was only then that James noticed that her feathers were ruffled and battered. That was why she hadn't come to breakfast, she was hurt!

"Cygnus!" James called at his friend, who was strapping a letter to his own owl.

"What now?"

"She's hurt," said James, picking up Luna and taking her to where his friend was standing. Cygnus released his own owl, and then examined Luna's wing.

"Blimey, she is!" he said, "Probably an animal-"

"It wasn't an animal." James said decisively, "Look-" he showed Cygnus the note at the bottom of the letter from his cousin, "-whoever hurt Luna was the same person who wrote this."

"But no one could know what we did!" said Cygnus, "We were under the cloak! No one could possibly have seen us!"

"Obviously someone did," said James, "Lets worry about that later, we need to find a teacher."

"Hagrid," said Cygnus, "He knows all about animals, and he seems nice- Where are you going!"

James had already started to rush down the stairs of the owlery, "To Hagrid's!"

Cygnus really couldn't argue, and began to rush after him. It was a surprisingly long way to Hagrid's hut on the outskirts of the Hogwarts grounds. James knew lessons had already started, because there were students- his own class infact- being herded into the greenhouses by Longbottom. He looked angrily at them as James and Cygnus rushed passed on a lower slope of the grounds, but James pretended not to see him, and carried on towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Hey James-" said Cygnus.

"What!" James snapped.

"You don't think it could have been Longbottom who hurt Luna, do you?"

"Of course not," said James, "Why would he have done- if he knew we knew, he wouldn't be so cruel to us in case we told his secret-"

"-speaking of," said Cygnus, "Why haven't we told his secret? I mean, what do we lose from telling?"

"We need to wait for the right moment," James repeated, "We can't just go claiming people are innocent until we have proof. And to get proof we need to-"

"-find out what in the name of Merlin's baggy Y-fronts is wrong with Longbottom," said Cygnus.

"Merlin's baggy Y-fronts?" said James, "Really?"

But Cygnus didn't have time to reply, as they had reached Hagrid's cabin. It was a small round hut, with a comforting stream of smoke issuing from a rickety chimney on the pointed roof. James had been inside only once before, when he and Rose had come to visit Hagrid- he was an old friend of the family. James had never really had an opportunity to talk to the giant professor, but he seemed kindly and generous. He doubted he would refuse to help an injured animal. He raised his hand to the door knocker, and hammered on it three times.

There was a call of, "Back, Harry, Back!" and shuffling at the door. Within moments, a giant man appeared in the door, keeping an angry looking boarhound away with his leg, "Sorry 'bout tha'," said Hagrid, "He's a nice dog really- James!" he seemed only then to have registered who was at the door, "And Cygnus Black too, always a pleasure! Come in, make yer selves at home!"

He gestured for the two boys to go into his cabin, and feeling it was rude not to, they obliged. Inside the cabin was very small and cosy, with lots of quilted blankets covering suspicious looking objects. James and Cygnus sat down on an elephantine sofa, and Hagrid got them each a cup of tea in a barrel sized mug.

"Wha's the problem then?" Hagrid asked, sitting down opposite the boys.

"My owl, Luna," said James, "She was attacked- I don't know who did it but-"

"Attacked?" said Hagrid urgently, "Wha' do you mean attacked?"

James showed Hagrid Luna's wing, and he examined it carefully, "Whoever attacked this bird was no animal," he said quietly, "She's been grabbed, probly- was there any damage to the letter she was carrying?"

James was unsure of whether or not he could tell Hagrid, but there was something so friendly about his eyes, he couldn't bare not to, he handed over his letter, and pointed to the extra message added at the bottom. Hagrid read it carefully.

"D'you reconise the handwritin'?" he asked, "Could it 'ave bin a friend o' yours?"

"No way," said Cygnus, "None of our friends would have attacked James' bird-"

"-Now I understand if you can' tell me," said Hagrid, "But what exactly did you do las' night?"

"We would tell you Hagrid, only-" James began.

"-Only I'm a teacher, righ'?" Hagrid said bitterly, "I don' mind- I've done some bad stuff in my time."

"Well, we followed Longbottom into Hogsmeade-" James began.

"You did wha'!" Hagrid shouted, "Tha' was a stupid thin' to do boys- very stupid. And why'd you call him _Longbottom_ like tha'? He was an ol' friend o' yer parents you know."

"Oh, believe me," said James bitterly, "I know."

"Now now," said Hagrid, "Wha's tha' sposed to mean? If there's something' yer not telling' me-"

"Its fine, Hagrid," said Cygnus, "James just doesn't see eye to eye with Professor Longbottom. I don't think anyone does actually-"

"He's not the same as 'e was," said Hagrid, "He was such a nice boy- I don' know what happened to 'im to tell you the truth. Never the same since Triste came aroun'-"

"You said her name!" said Cygnus, "I thought none of the teachers-"

"Well I can' call her You-Know-Who can I," said Hagrid, "I'll jus' get 'er confused wi' Voldemort!"

"What's the point of saying either?" said James, "Its just a name!"

"Well said, James," said Hagrid proudly, "You're yer father's son, through and through. I named me dog after 'im. He was the nicest- the nicest…" he trailed off and began to search for a hanky- James had never realised just how well loved his dad had been.

"Will Luna be okay?" James asked him.

"Course she will," said Hagrid, as the owl nipped his finger, "She's a trooper. Its you lot I'm more concerned about- if this happens again I want you ter to ter Hermione, alrigh'?"

James knew that Hermione was probably the only person who he couldn't go to, but said, "Of course we will Hagrid," just so that he had piece of mind. James and Cygnus left Luna with Hagrid, thanked him for the tea, and headed back to Herbology. They knew Longbottom would murder them (maybe literally) for being so late, but perhaps that last humane scrap of him would remember to be kind. Hagrid was an old friend of his after all, perhaps he would be sympathetic because they had been with him. Somehow, James highly doubted that he would.

Sure enough, when they arrived at Greenhouse one, their Herbology teacher looked ready to burst with anger. James and Cygnus apologised profusely, and sat down at the back, but not before Longbottom could take away the points which James had earned for Gryffindor that morning. During Herbology, James and Cygnus filled Rose and Fred in on the drama with Luna.

"You have to tell someone about this, James." Rose said later that evening.

"What?" James spluttered, "Why would I do that-? And anyway, I've told Hagrid!"

"I mean a teacher-"

"-Hagrid is a teacher-"

"-Since when are you so chummy with Hagrid!" Rose said irately, "I meant you should tell Professor McGonagall, or my mum-"

"But then we'd have to tell them why we were in Hogsmeade last night!" said Cygnus, "They'd find out about Ron and everything!"

"I never knew you were so matey with _him_ either," Rose scoffed.

"Come off it Rose," said James, "He's your dad for Merlin's sake! You can't just deny it! And he's innocent-"

"So what!" said Rose, "SO WHAT! He ran off and abandoned mum and me-"

"-its not like he had a choice," said James, "Like my parents. They didn't have a choice either, and I don't blame them-"

"-WOULD YOU SHUT UP FOR ONE MOMENT ABOUT YOUR BLOODY PARENTS!" shouted Rose, "THEY'RE DEAD! WE GET IT! WE DON'T NEED REMINDING OF IT _EVERY SINGLE DAY_!YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT MY PROBLEMS OR FRED'S PROBLEMS OR CYGNUS' PROBLEMS! ITS ALWAYS _JAMES_ THIS AND _JAMES_ THAT- JUST BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE PARENTS, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T HAVE OUR OWN FAMILY PROBLEMS!

"SO WHAT!" James shouted back, "YOU THINK I _WANT_ TO HAVE NO PARENTS ROSE! YOU THINK I _ENJOY_ HAVING ALL THESE PROBLEMS? BECAUSE I BLOODY DON'T! YOU _HAVE_ A HOME! YOU _HAVE_ PARENTS- EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT PERFECT YOU STILL HAVE THEM!"

"SHUT UP!" Fred said suddenly, "Seriously, just be quiet. Rose, you can't even possibly understand how James feels. You're just being plain selfish- do you think that if I discovered a way to cure my- _problem_ - even if it was painful, I would do it? Do you think, that if James found a way to bring his parents back, even if it was hard, he would do it? OF COURSE WE BLOODY WELL WOULD!"

"Its different with me-" said Rose.

"Different how Rose?" said Fred, "Different in that you _can_ actually cure your problem? You _can_ actually bring your dad back into your life- Merlin, I thought you were the intelligent one! Maybe books can't teach you everything after all."

Rose seemed to have had enough, as she stormed off and to the girl's dormitories without another word- but James could have sworn he heard her crying. He wasn't surprised, the grilling they had just given her was enough to make anyone cry. James felt too angry to be upset about the things Rose had said to him. He couldn't be bothered to mouth off about her either.

"I'm going to bed," he said, "Anyone care to join me?"

Fred and Cygnus stood up together in silence and followed James up the boy's stairs to their comforting beds. When James got there, he drew the curtains around his four poster bed, and looked through the old photo album of his parents. There was one of eight people, smiling happily at the camera, all with children in their arms- James knew one of them was him. There was his mother and father, next to them, Ron and Hermione holding Rose, and beside them a woman- James knew she was Luna Scamander, Lysander and Loran's mother, with her husband Rolf. On the other side of them was an awkward looking couple, holding one of the Scamander twins. The man was Professor Longbottom, and the woman Hannah, his wife who had so much control over him. It was then that he noticed something odd on her wrist as she waved- just poking through her sleeve was the corner of an inky black tattoo.

* * *

**Sorry for the short chapter! I'm just rushed off my feet with school and exams and stuff... but anyway**

**this is dedicated to my 240th reviewer RedRubyStorm! THANK YOU :D**

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	23. Chapter 22 : Hannah Longbottom

Chapter 22-

Lessons the next morning were not a pleasant experience for any one of the Gryffindor boys- with a combination of Rose not talking to James, and Cygnus fretting about the upcoming Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff Quidditch match, no one in the class could get anything done. Rose had insisted on sitting in her normal seat- beside Fred- probably just to annoy James, as this meant he couldn't talk to Fred without bothering Rose. And he certainly did not want to bother her. However probably the most annoy consequence of their situation was that James was not able to ask Rose about the black tattoo he had seen printed on the arm of Hannah Longbottom. He had tried to ask Cygnus, who shrugged and said, "Try Rose." This was not the most helpful advice James had ever received, but then again Cygnus was hardly known for his tactful remarks and useful advice.

This meant that James had no one to ask about this interesting photo- no one would listen or give him advice, he was sure he recognised the tattoo from somewhere- often with a green light-, and he was sure it was not the most pleasant of places. Perhaps in a textbook? But then again, why would a textbook remind him of a green light? He needed Rose more than he had needed her ever before.

By lunchtime it was almost unbearable not to be talking to her, he was simply itching to find out what the mark meant. He was close to writing to Ron and asking him for advice- it was only then that he remembered Luna's accident yesterday. There was no way he'd be sending any letters again in a great hurry. That left James feeling more isolated than ever. What with one friend not talking to him, and the other hopelessly pining over his most recent letter from his mother, he had no one. No one, that was, except Hagrid. James had been meaning to visit Hagrid that afternoon anyway to check on Luna, but what with the most recent developments, he could hardly wait to visit the giant. Hagrid was so knowledgeable- even though he didn't know it.

At three o'clock that afternoon, when the bell rang for the end of final lesson, James jumped up from his seat and ran out of the door without Cygnus- this visit was one he would do alone. He slipped his cloak out of his schoolbag, and put it one behind a large suit of armour. He enjoyed being invisible. He walked slowly down the castle corridors, occasionally bumping into bustled students in long black robes, but there was no need for him to apologise as he did so. They didn't know he was there. He walked down the great marble staircase and into the entrance hall, then through the enormous wooden front doors and into the castle grounds. It was a chilly afternoon, and the wind had a slight nip to it. Not great for Saturday's Quidditch match, thought James. Although it was bright, there were thick grey clouds coating the sky like a woolly blanket, and he could have sworn that there was something moving within them. The journey to Hagrid's seemed to take less time when he was invisible, and he relished the brief moments he had alone with his thoughts.

He knocked hard on the door of Hagrid's hut, it looked quite picturesque in the afternoon light, he obviously had a fire lit, as a thin stream of puffy smoke was streaming from the chimney pot. The knock was met by the usual scraping of feet from Hagrid's overlarge boar-hound, Harry. Named, in James' opinion rather poorly, after his father.

"Down, boy!" came Hagrid's booming voice from inside, "I'll be with yer in just a minute!"

"It's fine Hagrid," James replied, though he doubted thee giant could hear him.

The door opened suddenly to reveal a rather dishevelled looking Hagrid, kicking wildly at Harry the dog, "James!" he boomed, "'s lovely ter see yer again so soon! Here to see Luna I presume?"

"Yeah, thanks Hagrid," said James, making his way into the dark, cosy cabin.

"Always a pleasure, James," said Hagrid, "Make yerself comfortable then!"

"How is she?" James asked brightly, sitting down on one of Hagrid's gigantic arm chairs.

"Good as new," said Hagrid, "Sent her out fer some dinner jus' now, should be back any minute. I'll send her to yer later if yer like?"

"No its fine," James replied, "I'll wait here."

"Alrigh'" said Hagrid, heading over to his sink, "I'll make of pot of tea then."

James listened to Hagrid's far fetched tales as the giant busied himself making tea and cake for James to eat. He heard stories of Russian giants and Romanian dragons- which often ended in his father saving the day. Whether this was truth, or whether it was just Hagrid being polite, James wasn't sure. Though he listened intently, hanging on Hagrid's every word.

"So," said the giant as he handed James a bowling ball-sized mug, "Wha's goin' on up at the castle?"

"Everything," James replied with a sigh, taking a bite into a rock cake, and feeling his tooth shudder on impact. He replaced it on his plate politely.

"Tha' bad, eh?" Hagrid laughed, "Don' worry, things have a funny way of resolving themselves up there- magic, see. Wha's happened this time?"

"I had a fight with Rose," said James, "She won't talk to me- and I need her to help me with something-"

"-not some kind of mystery is it?" Hagrid interrupted urgently, "That'll get you nothin' bu' trouble, tha' will."

"Not really a mystery," said James, "Just something I saw in an old photograph and-"

"-wha's done is done, James," said Hagrid suddenly, "Yer can' try to change it. Wha'ever you think it is, I can guarantee it's fine-"

"-but-"

"-no buts, James," said Hagrid, before adding on second thoughts, "Wha' exactly was it?"

"I was just wondering about some kind of tattoo-" James began.

"-wha' kind o' tattoo?" said Hagrid, "Not the _Dark Mark_?"

That name rang a bell in James' head. He was sure he had heard Rose mention it when talking about Malfoy- no! It couldn't be. It wasn't… the mark of the _Death Eaters_… James suddenly felt incredibly sick. But Hannah Longbottom couldn't be- of course she was married to Professor Longbottom, but still. James suddenly wished he hadn't come to Hagrid's alone.

"No, no," said James, "Nothing like that- listen Hagrid, I've just remembered I have a lot of Homework- just send Luna up to the owlery."

"Oh," said Hagrid, sounding offended, "I'll do tha'. Its been nice ter talk ter yer, James."

"You too Hagrid," said James, picking up is cloak and heading for the door, "Are you coming to the match on Saturday?"

"Wouldn' miss it fer the world!" said Hagrid.

James smiled at Hagrid, before pulling on his cloak, and closing the door silently behind himself. There was still a distinct chill in the air, and the skies overhead were darkening considerably. He walked briskly up to the castle, and through the heavy wooden doors. There was a loud clashing sound coming from the great hall, and James realised suddenly that he was missing supper. He pulled off the cloak and wandered as casually as he possibly could into the great hall, and then sauntered over towards the Gryffindor table, where Rose, Cygnus and Fred was talking happily with each other. That was a good sign.

"_Where have you been_?" Rose hissed at him, and James was positively taken aback that she was talking to him at all.

"At Hagrid's," he said casually as he took a seat at the long table, "I wanted to check on Luna."

"Hmm," Rose said through pursed lips, "Then why were you gone for so long?"

"I had a chat with Hagrid," said James, "And I was wondering-" he paused, "-what exactly _is_ a Dark Mark?"

"Why?" said Fred excitedly, "You don't think Hagrid's got one do you?"

"Of course not you prat," James replied, "Just… someone."

"Who!" Cygnus blurted out very loudly, "Who?" he added again far more quietly.

"I want to wait and see before I tell you but-"

"-just climb down off your high horse and bloody well tell us, James!" said Rose.

"Hannah Longbottom," James stated. Fred and Rose gasped, and Cygnus looked extremely confused.

"Who?"

"Hannah Longbottom," said James, "Longbottom's wife? You know, the one we told you about with-" he stopped himself before he mentioned Ron's name, "-the one we told you about." he finished.

"What?" said Cygnus, "You think Longbottom's wife is a Death Eater?"

"So that is what that tattoo means then?" James asked hurriedly, "It _is_ the sign of a Death Eater?"

"Well of course it is, James," Rose scoffed, "And I know you dislike Mrs. Longbottom, I'm not her biggest fan myself, but its an awfully big accusation to make- calling her a _death eater_! Where's your proof!"

"In the dorm," said James proudly, "I'll show you all after supper."

He helped himself to a huge pile of potatoes, as they discussed the many different ways in which they hated the Longbottom's. By the time they had reached seventeen, how Professor Longbottom used to be nice, and now isn't, it was time for them to head upstairs. They walked slowly through the castle corridors, continuing to discuss this incredible new development, when they heard a rather odd commotion. However upon inspection, it turned out that Peeves the Poltergeist had dropped a rather large amount of dragon dung on Professor Longbottom's head. The four first years were still giggling when they got back to the common room. It was almost empty, which was highly unusual for this time of night.

"I'll just pop upstairs and get it," James said, as the rest of them sat down in the squashy armchairs surrounding the fire. James sprinted up the spiral staircase to their dormitory, and burst through the door. Kerry and Lysander were sitting on the floor playing exploding snap, and as James walked past the two of them, great sparks flew up, almost scorching the ends of his robes.

"Sorry mate," said Kerry, as James dusted off his robes with a horrified expression on his face, "You wanna play?" he added, taking a bite of a liquorice wand.

"No thanks, mate," James said, rooting through his trunk for the photo album, "I'm busy right now."

"Well, some other time then?" Kerry asked.

"Yeah sure," said James, as he hurried from the room, the photo album tucked neatly under his arm. He jumped down the staircase and bounded excitedly into the common room, only to be met by a most astonishing scene. Rose, Cygnus and Fred were gathered around the fireplace on their knees, and appeared to be talking into it.

"What's going on?" James asked, chucking the album carelessly onto the sofa, and crouching down beside them, "AGH!" he screamed, as there, sitting in the fireplace like an egg, was the head on Ron Weasley, "What are you doing here!" he asked.

"I thought I'd stop by to say hello!" said Ron cheerily, though there was a distinctly less cheerful expression on his face.

"But how did you find a fireplace to use?" Rose asked timidly.

"I'm in the house of some muggle family in the south," said Ron, "Near Surrey. They've gone to the Bahamas for the week, and I've been living here. Watering the plants, mowing the lawn, you know- the usual."

James laughed in spite of himself, "But what if you get caught?""Lets cross that bridge when we come to it," he said, "And anyway, I've got you four on my side, haven't I? How's that going by the way?"

The four of them exchanged glances, before Rose said, "Well, we think we've discovered something about Hannah Longbottom."

"Hannah?" said Ron, with clear dislike in his voice, "Never liked her at all."

"Well, we're not so sure if we like her much either," said James.

"Why not?" said Ron.

"Well, we- I- think she might have been a _Death Eater_," James hissed into the fire.

"What!" said Ron, "Now now, James. I've heard a lot of things in my time- but accusing someone of being a Death Eater is an extreme accusation-"

"-but you've accused Longbottom of being one," said James.

"-but that was different," said Ron, "I had proof-"

"-and so do we," said James firmly, "Cygnus, get that photo album from the sofa for me?"

Cygnus pulled himself up and reached for the album on the sofa, before passing it to James, who remained crouched by the fire. He leafed through it until he found the photo he was looking for. There she was, holding a baby and waving falsely at the camera. And there it was. The proof, a little black tattoo poking out of the sleeve of her robes.

"Bloody hell!" said Ron, as James turned the album around for him to see, he could see his eyes flicker briefly to himself in the photo, "Well, if that's not proof, I don't know what is."

"So you believe us?" James asked.

"Well, you believed me," said Ron, "Fairs fair."

James grinned at his uncle.

"Bloody hell!" Ron shouted again, "Listen guys, I can hear someone in the house. Stay out of trouble!"

And with that, he was gone.

"Well," said Fred, lounging in a sofa, "That was eventful."

"Tell me about it," said Cygnus, sitting down next to him.

"What do we do from here?" Rose asked, and it seemed to be a question directed at James. He wasn't exactly sure when he had become the leader.

"Quidditch," said James.

"What!" said Fred and Rose.

"Cygnus and I have Quidditch on Saturday, and its pointless trying to do anything before then."

"You are unbelievable," said Rose.

"Why thank-you," said James, grinning at her.

"-AND HERE'S THE GRYFFINDOR TEAM… LUPIN, WOOD, WEASLEY, BLACK, POLACK, AAANNNDD POTTER!" Victoire Weasley's voice carried heavily across the bright Hogwarts grounds. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the wind had died down considerably from several days before. James clung to his broom fervently as he waited for Peakes to start the match.

The burly professor marched into the centre of the Quidditch Pitch, and, as James gave one last grin to Fred, Rose, Kerry, Lysander and Daisy (who was sitting with the other four, rather than with her friends), he blew on the whistle.

"AND THEY'RE OFF!" Victoire said into her microphone, "AND IT'S POLACK WITH THE QUAFFLE- HE PASSES TO SPINNET- THE QUAFFLE IS TAKEN BY MACMILLIAN- MACMILLAN TO BRANSTONE- OOH! CHARLOTTE BRANSTONE IS HIT BY A BLUDGER, AIMED BY BLACK- GOOD SHOT, CYGNUS," she added, "AND GRYFFINDOR ARE IN POSSESSION AGAIN! ITS SPINNET WITH THE QUAFFLE- SHE PASSES TO POTTER- BACK TO SPINNET- NICE DIVE ALEXA! BACK TO POTTER- GRYFFINDOR SCORE! THE QUAFFLE RACES PAST MADLEY, SHE HAS NO IDEA WHATS HAPPENING… THAT'S 10-0 TO GRYFFINDOR!"

James was on top of the world. He had just scored for Gryffindor yet again. He grinned over a Cygnus, who grinned back, still proud of the Bludger he had managed to aim at Charlotte Branstone- she was a conceited fourth year who needed knocking down a peg or two. He glanced briefly over at the Gryffindor stands, where his friends were smiling and cheering for him. Infact, the only Gryffindors _not _cheering were Miranda Lough and Amelia Kenny, but to be honest, who cared what they thought? Gryffindor were in the lead. He did a swooping dive around the pitch, before returning to his position with the team.

"AND BRANSTONE HAS THE QUAFFLE, SHE PASSES TO MACMILLAN, BACK TO BRANSTONE- INTERCEPTED BY POTTER WHO PASSES TO-" _Thunk _James felt a sharp pain in his back, and dropped the quaffle. He gazed around for the Bludger that had hit him, but there wasn't one in sight…

"What's James doing?" Rose asked Fred.

"What?" Fred asked absent-mindedly.

"Look!" she pointed high into the air to where James was on his broom, the Quaffle now in Hufflepuff's possession, "Fly James!"

_Thunk _there was another sharp pain, in his arm this time- it felt like he was being hit by something, he searched around wildly for the perpetrator, but there was no one near him. The game was continuing at the other end of the pitch… _Thunk_ there was another jolt, but this time no pain. He tried to fly forwards and rejoin the match, but his broom was stuck. He leant forwards, but still there was nothing-

"What is he doing!" Fred shouted angrily, "Get back in the game James!"

"Wait-" Rose put her hand on Fred's shoulder, "Look at him- he's trying to fly! His broom's stuck-"

"-don't be so stupid!" chimed in Daisy, "He's just showing off… playing the fallen hero before becoming triumphant again."

"No one asked for your opinion, Daisy," Rose said spitefully.

"No one asked for him to be an arrogant toerag," said Daisy, before shuffling past a second year to sit with Amelia. Rose looked up again at James- his broom was still stationary, as though it had been caught in an invisible net. He was leaning so far forwards on it that he could have fallen off when-

"JAMES!" Rose called, as her best friend started to plummet towards the earth, still attached to his broom. It was out of control, bucking up and down like a runaway horse…

"_Imobulus!_" Rose turned to her right to see a jet of light hit the broom, which stopped in mid air, and began to float seamlessly down to earth. No one seemed to have noticed the caster of this spell until-

"AGH!" there was a scream from several rows below them, as a fifth year Slytherin girl pointed in the direction of a red-headed man, "ITS WEASLEY!"

James' eyes shot to the man who had just saved him, and, it seemed, so did the eyes of every other member of the stadium. The man seemed to have noticed his sudden publicity, as he ran through the exit of the stadium and up the hill towards the castle, but not before anybody could get a good sight of who it was.

"STOP THE MATCH!" came a call from the teacher's stand, as Professor McGonagall stood up and thrust her arms out. Peakes blew loudly on his whistle, and the 13 remaining players in the air landed gracefully on the ground.

"BACK TO THE HOUSES EVERYONE!" McGonagall cried, "PREFECTS, LEAD THE YOUNGER YEARS… TEACHERS, TO MY OFFICE!"

There was complete chaos in the stands as hundreds of students tried to escape the stadium. There were hysterical cries echoing from the surrounding hills, seeming to multiply as they did. Slightly shaken, but all together alright, James picked up his broom and ran across the pitch with Cygnus. When they got to the exit, they were met by Professor Longbottom.

"Oh no you don't, Potter," said Longbottom, "Professor McGonagall has given me instructions- she wants you in her office."

James sighed, "I did nothing wrong."

"I never said you did," said Longbottom, "Merely that your headmistress wishes to speak with you. Mr. Black, you may return to the castle alone."

James shrugged at Cygnus, who continued through the exit and up towards the castle. James followed Longbottom through the exit, but they took a different route to McGonagall's office. James found himself walking towards the forest-

"Excuse me, sir," he said, "But where exactly are we going?"

"Forest," Longbottom replied.

"But I thought-"

"-Well, thought wrong didn't you?" said Longbottom fiercely, pulling James by the forearm towards the forest. He was too strong for James to shake of, and so they walked together towards the dark wood. The sky was darkening- it looked like a storm was approaching. Twigs cracked underfoot as the two of them got closer to the looming forest, and the air seemed to cool as they broke into the tall, close together trees.

"I know things Professor," James said, and Longbottom stopped abruptly, "Things that would be enough to make your toes curl."

"What foolish dream is this Potter?" Longbottom said haughtily, though with a hint of worry in his voice, "You have nothing that could harm me."

"I know more than you think," said James, squaring on his Professor. James was only a head shorter than his teacher, and their eyes met, "I _know._"

Longbottom's eyes scrunched together in fear, "_You do not_." he hissed angrily, "_You know nothing_."

"I know you betrayed my parents," James said bluntly, "I know that your wife is a Death Eater."

"LIES!" bellowed Longbottom, "WORTHLESS LIES!"

"If they were lies," said James, "I wouldn't have evidence."

"Evidence?" Longbottom scoffed, "Evidence can be destroyed- and then what remains Potter? Only what people _wish_ to believe. Truth can never beat a popular lie."

"You know, Longbottom," James said angrily, "There's an old muggle saying, _Truth will out_. And its _your _fault I know that saying. And someday soon _everyone _will know that."

James turned on his heels, leaving the stunned Professor in the forest alone.

* * *

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	24. Chapter 23 : The Truth Will Out

Chapter 23-

The exhilaration James felt was hard to bear. What had he just done? It seemed as though he had been in a dream like state, as he watched the scene play back in front of him from a great height. He was among the trees as he saw himself stand up to his teacher- no, he no longer deserved that title. Professor Longbottom was purely the man who had killed his parents. He was the reason he had lived with Dudley and Carol for 11 years of his life- but yet, some things didn't add up. Why had Longbottom acted so _civilly _at the Hog's Head with Ron? It was almost as though he had had a personality transplant, that he had suddenly had a change of heart. It was too late for that though. Whats done is done, you can't try and change it- Suddenly James remembered what Hagrid had said when he went to visit him. _Hagrid_! That was the answer, he would always listen, he would always understand. James felt something compelling him to run to the castle. To find that photo. To find Uncle Ron. To finish this, once and for all.

He ran faster than he ever had, sprinting past the last remaining students heading back to the castle after the match. He jumped up the marble staircase three steps at a time, and along the corridors like a whirlwind, nearly knocking into a statue of a rather pompous looking man in a suit.

"Hogwash!" he shouted at the fat lady.

"Same to you," she said grumpily, as she swung aside, albeit grudgingly, to let him through. The common room was buzzing with fear and excitement, as everyone gathered around Teddy and Victoire, who were talking loudly about something that James did not want to hear, nor had time to.

"Look, there's Potter!" he heard a distant call, but didn't stop. He continued straight up to his dormitory, where Cygnus and Fred were sitting on his trunk.

"Funny you should stop by," they said in unison.

"Look guys, this is important, just move!" James shouted violently, he suddenly realised his voice was shaking with a mixture of anger and excitement.

"But we think we know something-" Fred began.

"I don't care!" James snapped, "You can come with me if you like- actually," a suddenly wave of inspiration flooded over him, "Can you of you go and find Ron for me?"

"What!" said Cygnus, "Why d'you want him? And anyway, I reckon he's scarpered after that scene at the match."

That hit James like a lead balloon. Of course Ron would have left the castle. How could he _not_ have done, with everyone looking out for him?

"Well… I-," he began, "I just did something… unwise."

"You didn't tell someone about him did you?" said Fred worriedly.

"No," said James, "But I _may_ have told Longbottom that I know his wife is a Death Eater-"

"-YOU WHAT-?"

"-and that's why we need to act fast, other wise he might go to McGonagall and get us in detention or something before we have time to explain. So, I need that photo album, I need Rose, and I need Ron, all down at Hagrid's hut in-" he checked his watch hurriedly, "-5 minutes?"

"Have you finally snapped?" Cygnus asked him, "Have you gone absolutely barking? I hate to break it to you Jamie, but we're _eleven_. We're not crime fighting geniuses. You're not your dad. You're James. You like Quidditch, and pulling pranks… not _fighting Death Eaters_!"

"What do you know!" James said, his sudden anger at his friend surprised him a little, "You've been so self-obsessed recently you wouldn't even notice! Oh, poor Cygnus' mummy has been being a little distant- who gives a flying-"

"-YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" Cygnus screamed, "YOU DON'T KNOW A BLOODY THING-"

"ALL I KNOW, BLACK, IS THAT SOME THINGS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHERS!" the fact that he was shouted surprised James even further, "AND THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS FOR THE _GREATER GOOD_."

"You should listen to him, Cygnus," said Fred quietly, "Just think, Longbottom wouldn't be our teacher anymore! No more unnecessary detentions-"

The three boys spun around, as the door creaked open behind them. They expected to see Kerry, or maybe Lysander, but it was not. The orange cat purred lightly, and slinked into the room. He sat down, directly between Cygnus and James, and began to lick his paws carefully. For some reason, James couldn't tear his eyes from Marmaduke.

"Well, I'm going to Hagrid's," said James, shoving his trunk open violently and rooting around for the photo album, "Whether you want to come or not. Aha!" He pulled out the old album, and tucked it under his Quidditch robes- he really didn't want it to get wet in the torrential rain.

"I'll come," said Fred, standing up boldly, "I want the truth. I want-"

"-you know what I want?" said Cygnus, "For everyone to shut the bloody hell up!"

"I think you should shut the bloody hell up, young man," a new voice had appeared amongst the three. It was far deeper and more grizzled than their own, and also, very familiar.

"Ron!" James turned on the spot to see his Uncle standing there, plain as day, where Marmaduke had been seconds earlier, "What the bloody hell-"

"He's an Animagus!" said yet another new voice, this one was, however, far more feminine. It seemed that Rose had now joined their conversation.

"A what?" James asked incredulously.

"He can transform into an animal at will, that's how he's been getting into the castle undetected. He's been pretending to be my _pet cat_!" Rose gasped.

"Sorry, just let me explain first," Ron said sheepishly, "I just- I heard what you said James, and… I think its high time someone told the truth. Longbottom's been living a lie for nearly twelve years-"

"-shut up, Dad," said Rose suddenly, surprising herself as much as anyone, "We need to move quickly, I just saw Longbottom come into the castle from the grounds, he's going to McGonagall- forget Hagrid's, we need to get to her first- Don't complain James, that's whats we're doing," she added, as James opened his mouth in protest. The silence was suddenly broken by Ron transforming into a large ginger cat.

"Excellent," said James offhandedly, heading towards the dormitory door, photo album still tucked neatly beneath his cloak, "It appears that since everyone is on board, we should get going."

Rose beamed at him, and joined him at the door, closely followed by Fred. Cygnus, however, remained slumped on James' four-poster bed, "Whats the point of me coming?" he asked, Rose made a movement to object, but he stopped her, "No, seriously Rose, whats the point? I'm not part of this little _family_… actually, I'd probably make it worse for you all-"

"Stop being such a prat, Cyg!" James said angrily, "We need you, we need all the extra witnesses we can get, so come here now before I have to stun you."

"You don't know how," said Cygnus slyly.

"Believe me when I say, I'm an _incredibly_ fast learner," James said carefully, and that seemed to make all the difference. Cygnus stood up shakily, and made his way over to the door to join the others, and from there, a spark seemed to have been ignited in James' chest. He suddenly had an urge to run through the castle to McGonagall's office, to shout his new through the castle at the top of his voice- but he knew Rose would never approve, so, he had to hold his tongue for the moment. They made their way as inconspicuously as possible down the stairs and through the common room, James had a feeling that Fred nearly gave the game away by squeaking rather loudly in excitement.

The Fat Lady was not too pleased at being opened _yet again_ by James, and it was safe to say that he was no longer her favourite Gryffindor student. Ron purred apologetically to her as they passed, and she seemed not to take that terribly well either, 'Get that Vermin away from me!', which lightened their trip considerably. As soon as they were out of sight of any pupil, they began to run through the corridors, much to the distaste of many portraits, but to be honest, at this point in time, they really couldn't care less. They ran up staircases, through secret passageways (directed by Cygnus), and behind statues. It seemed as though they had run miles, which they probably had, by the time they arrived outside the stone gargoyle which marked the headmistress's office.

"So," said Fred casually, "Anyone know the password?"

"Knowing McGonagall," said James, thinking hard for a moment, "Tabby," and suddenly, the gargoyle began to move aside, to reveal a spiralling staircase, which James hopped onto, "Anyone else coming?"

"James, you really are bloody brilliant," said Rose, joining him. The staircase spiralled up until they reached a large, brown door with a golden knocker. James knocked loudly three times, and the noise seemed to echo through the stairwell.

"Enter," came a sharp voice from inside the office. James twisted the handle nervously, and took a careful step into the room, Cygnus, Rose, Fred and Ron, still as a cat, behind him.

"What might this be concern-?" McGonagall began, looking up from her papers, "_POTTER!_ How on earth did you get in here! Why have you brought the Weasley's and Mr. Black? Why have you got a _ginger cat_?"

"I can explain it all in a minute Professor," he said hurriedly, suddenly having a wave of confidence, "But first, have you seen Longbottom yet?"

"_Professor _Longbottom, James," said McGonagall, and there was a tired chuckle from behind her desk.

"Yes, him," said James, and the chuckled grew a little more, "Has he been up here yet-?"

"-Yet? What do you mean _yet_?" asked McGonagall, "Why would he come to see me at all?"

"I just assumed-"

"Well, you assumed incorrectly," said McGonagall sternly.

"Look Professor," said Rose suddenly, "We think we know something about Longbottom, only we can't prove it until he's here… and his wife too."

"What on _earth _is going on here! You barge into my office-"

"-we didn't barge!" said Fred angrily, "We had the password and everything-"

"-that the case may be, however, I was not expecting you- and you ask me to summon one of my teachers to my office, after having _just_ had a staff meeting about the appearance of Ronald Weasley!"

The orange cat tensed considerably and hissed loudly at her, "But that's _exactly_ why we're here Professor!" said Cygnus, surprising everyone, "Ron's innocent!"

"What foolish notion is this!" said McGonagall, "I know how you _wish_ you could fill you father's shoes, James, but sometimes there is nothing to be discovered. Sometimes the apparent truth is infact the _whole truth_."

"On the contrary, Minerva," said an elderly voice from behind her desk, "The apparent truth is _never_ the same as the whole truth."

"Albus, this is no time to be philosophical, we have four deranged first years and cat to deal with!"

"Why are you so certain that they are deranged, Minerva?" Professor Dumbledore asked from his portrait, "The innocence of youth can often be the clue in all of this, let us here them out- Professor Dippet, could you do us the honour of summoning Professor Longbottom to the office?"

"Of course, Albus," said another elderly wizard several portraits away.

There was a loud coughing noise from the portrait of the greasy-haired man, "Always eager to trust the youth, Albus."

"Of course I am Severus," said Professor Dumbledore, "Though we make mistakes in our childhood, they often tend to be seen as mistakes by adults, and not by the children themselves, who often seem to think that what they do is perfectly reasonable-"

"-However much I hate to inerrupt," said McGonagall tiredly, "Who is to find Mrs. Longbottom?"

"Is that not Hannah Abbot?" asked Professor Snape, "I never did like her."

"No one is asking for your opinion at the moment, Severus," said McGonagall, taking a step into the fireplace, "Watch those four while I'm gone." and she disappeared in a burst of green flames.

"That was eventful," said Ron, who had now transformed into a human once more, "Hello Professor," he said, nodding his head in the direction of Dumbledore.

"Mr. Weasley!" said Dumbledore in surprise, "Dare I say you seem to have lost your way a little, are you not currently supposed to be in Azkaban?"

"Indeed," said Ron carefully, "Unfairly, of course."

"Why, of course," said Dumbledore.

"What do you mean, why of course, Professor?" Rose asked timidly, "Sorry," she added sheepishly.

"Don't be sorry, Miss. Weasley," said Dumbledore, "Especially when you are so clearly not. I am merely saying that I believe Mr. Weasley's story."

"You haven't even heard it yet!" James pointed out.

"Sometimes actions speak louder than words, James," said Dumbledore serenely, "And I believe his actions tell a thousand tales."

"So you think he's innocent?" asked James.

"Of course," said Dumbledore, "He has acted as an innocent man might, therefore I believe he is an innocent man."

"Why couldn't _you _have been minister for magic when they _didn't _give me a trial?" Ron asked wearily.

"Because," said Dumbledore, "Due to a rather unfortunate course of events, I was dead."

"Oh, yeah, right," said Ron, before adding, "Sorry."

"Quite alright, dear boy," said Dumbledore, chuckling, "Now, do you think your wife should be present for you declaration of innocence?"

"My what- oh, Hermione," said Ron, "Yes, perhaps she should."

"Mum!" said Rose suddenly, "But she _hates _you!"

"She does?" asked Ron, "Oh well, never mind," he said, though he looked severely unhappy.

"Severus, kindly summon Miss. Granger for us would you?" said Dumbledore, "Tell her that I wish to talk with her. She has not been to partial to Minerva since their little dispute last term."

James and Cygnus looked sheepishly to each other, they had _both_ been present to witness that particular argument. Suddenly, there was another knock at the door, and Longbottom burst in.

"POTTER!" he screamed manically, "I swear I'll kill you!"

"Neville, calm down!" cried Dumbledore, "Minerva will return any moment."

Suddenly there was another burst of green flames, and McGonagall was in the room once more. She stepped from the fireplace, dusted herself down, and moved aside as there was a second burst of flames. Hannah Longbottom and her daughter Alice had entered the office.

"WEASLEY!" cried McGonagall suddenly,

"Daddy!" Alice said excitedly, running towards her father, who picked her up and gave her a quick hug.

"Why did you bring Alice?" Longbottom asked his wife in a harsh whisper.

"I couldn't bloody well leave her could I?" Hannah replied, "We can just send her off with- WEASLEY! There's a murderer!" her attempt at late surprise was very false.

"Give it up, Hannah," said Ron, "We all know I'm innocent-"

"-when was this decided?" asked McGonagall sternly, "How did you get in here?"

"About two minutes ago, and we shall come to you second question momentarily," said Dumbledore, "This man is innocent, Minerva, though whether or not Neville is the true traitor, we are unsure. I think it would be wise to sedate both Neville and his wife in the mean time. Rose, if you could escort Miss. Longbottom from the room."

Rose blushed at being called by her first name, and took Alice to the office door, before returning to her original position. In the meantime, McGonagall had placed both Longbottoms in a full body-bind.

"Splendid," said Dumbledore, "Now, lets start from the beginning. How did you four come to be aware of Ron's innocence-"

"-apparent innocence," interjected McGonagall, but Dumbledore ignored her entirely.

"It was at Christmas," James began, "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk in the garden, where I met Rose-" there was another knock at the door, and Hermione entered the room looking very flustered.

"Sorry I'm late everyone," she said, "I ran into little Alice Longbottom and- RON! Professor, what is _he_ doing here?"

"Professing his innocence, mum," said Rose.

"Rosie?" said Hermione, seeming to have only just the four first year in the room, "Why are you four here?"

"They appear to be the reason why we are all here, Hermione," said Dumbledore, "Take a seat if you wish. Continue James."

Looking absolutely perplexed, Hermione took a seat in a squashy armchair nearby, and listened quietly as James told his story.

"Where was I? Oh, yeah… right. So, I went for a walk in the garden, where I met Rose. Then we heard a funny noise, and it turned out that Ron was hiding in a hedge. We joined him, and he told us how he was innocent-"

"-and how was that, Ron?" asked Dumbledore, and the rest of the room sat silently.

"Well, it was really the perfect plan," said Ron, "We told everyone that I was the secret keeper for Harry and Ginny, and they all believed us, I mean, why wouldn't they? No one would make the same mistake as Harry's mum and dad had would they? But then, we did. We thought it was perfect, no one would expect it! Everyone would think I was the secret keeper still, while Neville sat in peace, with no one troubling him. But then, he went a blabbed-"

"-why don't we ask him," Dumbledore interrupted, "Minerva, kindly re-awaken Neville. Ron, there's some Veritaserum in my top drawer."

McGonagall hurried to wake up Longbottom, as Ron retrieved the tiny glass bottle from her desk. He looked at it with hope and admiration as he carried it carefully over to the sedated Professor. McGonagall took the vial, and poured four drops into Longbottom's gaping mouth. He immediately got up, and sat down in the nearest chair.

"I'm sorry, but why is everyone trusting him so easily!" Cygnus blurted out suddenly, "If we were muggles, there would be investigations-"

"-ah, but we are not muggles, are we Mr. Black?" said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling, "And that is the _magic_ of it all. Now, Minerva, if you would do the honours."

"Oh, all right," said McGonagall, turning to where Longbottom was slumped in the chair, "Neville Longbottom, did you, being fully aware of your actions, betray Harry and Ginny Potter to Triste?"

"No," said Longbottom suddenly, as though the answer was being forced out of him. There was a sharp intake of breath from around the room.

"He's lying!" said James and Ron in unison.

"He's been given Veritaserum," said McGonagall, "He cannot be lying."

"But, don't you remember what that bloke said!" said Ron, "You can build up an immunity to Veritaserum over time, or-"

"But Neville has never had Veritaserum before," said McGonagall.

"If he was in league with Triste then he could have-" began Ron.

"I don't think it was him who did it," James said suddenly. It had all suddenly come together in his brain, Longbottom's denial had finished it off for him.

"What!" Everyone in the room objected suddenly.

"I don't think he betrayed my parents," James repeated.

"So you think it was Weasley?" McGonagall asked.

"No, it wasn't Ron either," said James, "It was her." He pointed to where Hannah Longbottom was frozen on the floor, "She's a Death Eater. I found a picture. I don't know how she did it, but, she must have got the information out of him and told Triste herself-"

"-but that's not how Secret Keepers work, James," said Hermione, "_Only_ the secret keeper themselves can give up the whereabouts of the hidden-"

"The Imperious curse!" Cygnus said suddenly, "I think Longbottom's been placed under the Imperious curse!"

"What!"

"It all makes sense!" said Cygnus, "His random changes of mood, don't you remember in Hogsmeade?" he turned to James and Ron, "His sudden change of heart- you said it yourself, Ron, that he wasn't quite right for a few months before Triste found James' parents, its because he was being controlled by Hannah!"

"This is completely daft!" said McGonagall, "How could he be kept under the Imperious curse for such a long period of time? You begin to learn to fight it-"

"-exactly," said Dumbledore, "Do you not remember the story of Barty Crouch Jr.? He was placed under the Imperious curse by his father, and remained that way for years, until he finally learnt to fight it, and that, is what I believe has been happening to Neville of the past few weeks."

"But this is all based on the ridiculous notion that Hannah Longbottom is a Death Eater!" said McGonagall, "There's no proof!"

"There's all the proof you need, Minerva," said Hermione, who had silently crouched down beside Hannah Longbottom, where her sleeve had been pulled up to reveal an inky black dark mark, "Oh Ron!" she got up suddenly, and ran to embrace her husband.

McGonagall stared at Hannah Longbottom's frozen body, "Pass me the Veritaserum," she said in a harsh whisper, "NOW!" James passed her the little glass vial, and she poured another 4 drops of the liquid into Hannah's mouth. Hannah stood up, and sat down in a chair beside her husband's.

"Hannah Longbottom," said McGonagall slowly, "Are you currently, or have you ever been, in league with Triste?"

"Yes," said Hannah.

"Have you placed you husband under the Imperious curse?"

"Yes."

"Is he still under that curse?"

"Yes."

"Why have you done this?"

"Because Triste needed the Potter's whereabouts, and Neville wouldn't tell her otherwise."

"So you placed him under the Imperious curse, and he then betrayed them to her?"

"Yes."

"And why is he still under the curse?"

"So that he wouldn't tell anyone what I had done," said Hannah.

"Well," said Ron happily, "That proves my innocence. Someone call the Minister will you? I believe we're in need of a little chat."

There was an air of shock and elation in the room, and people hugged, Hermione cried, and McGonagall talked frantically through the fireplace to the minister's office. Neville and Hannah Longbottom remained in a frozen state on their chairs, watching the scene unfold before them. It seemed as though hours had passed in a matter of minutes. Suddenly, everything was alright. Everything was how it should be. Ron was free. Rose had a father. But most importantly, the truth was victorious, even if it wasn't quite the truth that anyone had expected.

"James," Ron beckoned him over to a corner of the office, "I believe I have something that belongs to you," he dug his hand into his pocket and retrieved and small, black, stone with an interesting marking on it.

"The stone!" James exclaimed in a loud whisper, "You had it?"

"Pretty much, yeah," said Ron, "Its what you think it is, I checked," he added with a grin, placing it into James' sweaty palm, "You can keep it, consider it you first Godfatherly, Uncle present. Use it well."

James grinned at him, and placed the stone into his robe pocket.

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**So, second to last chapter is finally here, but never fear! I feel a sequel approaching! Tell me if you want one by the way :)**

**I'm on summer holiday now, so i'm free to write A LOT of the time, updates WILL be more rapid in future, and I'm sorry, its been like a month since I last updated, and it was ANOTHER month before that!**

**THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL MY REVIEWERS FOR STICKING BY ME THROUGHOUT THE STORY!**

**FINAL CHAPTER COMING UP! BE PREPARED!**

**Love you, Mirandoo xoxox**

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	25. Chapter 24 : The End?

Chapter 24-

James had the stone clasped in his pocket for the next few days, it was his sort of reminder that all of this was real. That he hadn't stumbled into another world, or he was in a long, long dream. A few hours after McGonagall discovered Ron was innocent, the Minister for Magic had arrived, and declared his freedom in front of the press, much to the distaste of Hermione, who still seemed to hate Rita Skeeter. Other than that slight hiccup, she had seemed altogether ecstatic, and in the next Transfiguration lesson she allowed them to try to Transfigure each other's pets into other animal, that didn't go too well for Scorpius Malfoy's owl, Velna, as James transfigured her into a grotesque looking frog. Hermione managed to rectify the situation at the end of the lesson, but Malfoy looked permanently scarred.

For once in his life, James felt sick of all the attention he was getting. The news spread like wildfire that James Potter, Fred and Rose Weasley and Cygnus Black had saved the day. The others didn't seem to mind so much, they weren't quite to used to the fame and popularity that James was, but after three days of the constant hype, even Cygnus seemed to get bored.

"Ugh," he said as he slumped onto the bench of the Gryffindor table on Tuesday morning.

"Good morning," said Rose cheerily.

"Is it?"

"Well, no," said Rose, with a quick glance to the ceiling, which was grey and cloudy as the sky outside, "there's torrential rain forecast, but it was just a greeting, you don't have to be so rude Cygnus," but she had a grin on her face in spite of herself.

"Whats got you so grumpy anyway?" asked Fred, "I thought you'd be loving all the attention, you're that kind of egotistical maniac, are you not?"

"Fred, what does egotistical mean?" Rose asked him in a patronising way.

"Dunno, but it sounded cool," said Fred, grinning.

"Its just getting annoying!" said Cygnus angrily, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the attention, but its all the bloody time! I can't even go to the bathroom in peace!"

"Welcome to my world, Cygy-poo," said James, putting an arm over his best friend's shoulder, "First week here I could barely walk across the classroom without someone saying 'Look, its James Potter!'"

"Well, yeah, but you're used to it, so-" Cygnus began.

"And you'd get used to it if you stopped such a bloody drama queen!" James snapped.

"Drama king," Cygnus corrected snootily, narrowing his startling green eyes.

"I'm not so sure," said James, with a smirk on his face.

"Oi!" said Cygnus angrily, but he too had a broad grin on his face.

"Lessons soon," said Fred with a glance to the entrance hall, where swarms of students in long black robes were pouring from the doors to the great hall, eager to avoid a detention. Only those who were either too important, or too old to care remained behind, "Should get going."

"What? Worried you'll tarnish the suddenly glowing Weasley reputation?" a sneering voice said from behind James, he knew who it was without needing to turn around.

"Just because the Malfoy's have lost theirs," said James, turning around and standing up to face Malfoy squarely.

"As have the _Potters_," said Malfoy, raising his eye-brows.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Cygnus said, standing up to face Riddle, one of Malfoy's cronies.

"Don't even get me started on the _Blacks_," said Malfoy with a slight chuckle, "But, I suppose you're not a _real_ Black are you? Just a muggle born, aren't you?"

"Ha!" Cygnus scoffed, glaring at Malfoy, "Wouldn't you just wish?"

"_What exactly is that supposed to mean_?" Malfoy mimicked Cygnus' words.

"Never you mind," Cygnus growled, turning to James, "I suddenly feel that History of Magic is beneath us James," he added cheerily, "Fancy a stroll?"

"I'd love one," said James, "No need to ask you Rose, but wanna come Fred?"

Rose smiled apologetically, as she was certainly not one to cut class, "Can't, sorry guys," said Fred, "I can't miss any more lessons." He gave them a knowing look, and they understood, he had already missed half their History lessons that year due to his 'furry little problem'.

"Fine," said James, "Lets go Cyg."

"Wait!" Malfoy shouted as the neared the oak doors, "You can't just cut class like that!"

"Never thought a Malfoy would be a stickler for the rules, I thought that common decency was beneath you lot?" said Cygnus with a broad smirk on his face.

"You'll pay for that, Black," said Malfoy, drawing his wand.

"We all know you're too inbred to be able to cast a decent spell Malfoy," said James, withdrawing his own wand, "Why not put that away and save yourself the embarrassment?"

"We both know that James and I would beat you and Riddle with our hands tied," said Cygnus, "I don't think _he_ know the difference between a wand and a wooden spoon!" he added, with a jerk of the wrist towards Riddle, who's face was as vacant as the brain beneath it.

It seemed they had won, as Malfoy shoved his wand angrily back into his pocket, and stormed from the great hall, Riddle struggling to keep up step with him.

"Nice one guys," Fred grinned at them, "I don't know how you do it."

"Pure genius," said James.

"And arrogance," Rose muttered, and James grinned lovingly at her.

The two boys retold their story to each other at various points over their stroll through the castle corridors. They told it boldly to suits of armour, and with each telling it became more and more dramatic, eventually ending in a daring duel of skill and bravery, which would go down in history as a tale of good against evil, Gryffindor against Slytherin, the former victorious. Even James was beginning to believe it was getting a little far fetched. He shoved his hands casually into his pockets as the continued to wander aimlessly through the corridors. It seemed as though hours had passed, when really it had been minutes. Jams felt his hands close of the Resurrection Stone, still safely in his pocket. He took it out and showed it to Cygnus.

"This stone," he started, "It can bring people back."

"What?" Cygnus asked distantly, focussing on the stone in James' palm.

"It _is_ the Resurrection Stone, Uncle Ron told me," James said slowly, "I want to use it."

"Here?" Cygnus looked around the deserted corridor, "But _why_?"

"I want to see my mum and dad," said James, only realising it as he said the words. Cygnus nodded understandingly. They looked around for a room to go into, and opened the first door they found.

"We can't go in here!" said Cygnus suddenly, "It's a _girl's_ bathroom."

"No one uses this one," said James, "Rose told me."

"If you say so," said Cygnus, looking oddly at his best friend, "It seems perfectly good."

"Well-" James began, but was never able to finish his sentence.

"Hello Harry," said a dreary voice from a cubicle at the other end of the bathroom.

"I'm not-" James began again, but was again interrupted.

"Oh!" the voice squeaked as a ghost emerged from the cubicle. She was a very plain looking girl, with mousy hair and big round glasses, she was wearing Hogwarts robes, "You're not Harry."

"I'm not," said James, "He's dead. I'm James."

"Dead?" the ghost asked, she looked on the verge of tears, "He said he'd share my toilet if he-"

"-and as charming as that sounds," said Cygnus, "We'd like you to leave please. We need this room."

"Not opening _it_ up again are you?" the ghost asked, "Professor McGonagall will _not_ be happy… though James doesn't look like the type, I wouldn't put it past Black here."

"How'd you know I'm a Black?" Cygnus asked her, affronted.

"You have the features," the ghost said in a bored tone, "The floppy hair, the high cheek-bones, the arrogance-"

"-Arrogant?" Cygnus said, looking offended, "My surname may be Black, but I'm not one of _them_. One of the proper Blacks. My dad was a muggle-born Hufflepuff. My mum was a Ravenclaw-"

"-I thought your dad was a muggle?" James asked.

"Nope," Cygnus grinned at him, "Who cares about this old ghost, get the stone out!"

"Who cares?" the ghost wailed, "No one cares about me! Ugly Myrtle! Boring Myrtle! Miserable, moping, moaning Myrtle!" she swooped dramatically into the air, and plunged into the nearest toilet with a great splash.

"Now _there_ is a drama queen," said Cygnus, "Ready?"

"Can you go?" James asked suddenly, surprising himself, "I sort of wanted to be _alone_-"

"Of course, mate," said Cygnus, turning to the door, "But can I use it after you?"

"Why?" James asked.

"Dad." Cygnus said, closing the door behind him.

James took a deep breath, and looked at the stone in his palm. He held it so that the triangular marking was facing him, closed his eyes, and turned it carefully in his hand. Once… twice…. Three times. He knew it had worked, as he felt their presence with him in the dank bathroom. He could hear the slight movement as they shifter their weight on the stone bathroom floor. He opened his eyes to see two figures before him, there, but not there at the same time. They were neither ghost, as Myrtle had been moments before, nor human flesh and blood. He gazed up at them, and on each of their faces were smiles of both love and concern.

"Hi," James said sheepishly, turning to his mother first, who's eyes were feasting on his face as though she could never look at him enough.

"James," Ginny gasped, throwing her hand to her mouth, as it looked as though tears might escape her eyes.

"Hi," James repeated, "Mum," he turned to his dad, and now fully appreciated how people said they looked similar in a way he couldn't from pictures. Harry's hair stuck up at the back as James' did, and he had the same thin face, though James' was thinner. Harry was tall, but not lanky looking, he looked strong.

"James," Harry grinned at him, "Mind telling me where you found that?" he pointed at the stone in James' palm.

"The Forbidden Forest," James said, "Sorry."

"Sorry?" Harry chuckled, "Why should you be sorry! You should be proud."

"Proud of what, getting a detention and having to go into the forest with Hagrid?" James asked, he had to admit, his parents were not how he had expected them.

"How far into the year was that then?" Ginny asked him with a friendly smile.

"First term," James replied.

"So like your father," said Ginny, with a glance towards Harry.

"We're so proud of you James," Harry said after a moment's silence, "What you did for Ron-"

"-how did you hear-?"

"-we have our ways," Ginny said, grinning at him, "It was such a kind thing to do."

"Well, I couldn't bloody well leave him a condemned man, could I?" James asked, "That's Rose's dad. My uncle-"

"-and godfather," Harry said wisely, "I know _exactly _why you did it. You were just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. You could catch _your_ traitor."

"I've heard that story too many times to count," James said, "The one about how you tried to save Sirius. Rose tells me it at least once a week. I think she was hoping it would help us free her dad. I think it did."

"You're wise far beyond the years of an eleven year old James, you do know that?" Harry said with a chuckle, "At your age I could _barely_ defeat Voldemort when he was living under my teacher's turban-"

"-it sounds stupid when you say it like that, Harry," said Ginny, "But it took a great deal of bravery to fight him like that-"

"-but not much skill," said Harry, "Word on the street is that you're a little genius James, that'll be your mother's brains. I was _useless_ at school-"

"-you managed to teach about fifty of us to duel-"

"-under _totally_ different circumstances," said Harry, "I hope you're keeping out of trouble young man," he added in an attempt to regain favour with Ginny.

"I had a fight with Malfoy this morning," James said proudly.

"Scorpius Malfoy?" Harry asked, "I remember hearing about him being born. I couldn't believe anyone would _ever_ want to marry Draco, let alone-"

"-Harry!" Ginny said in shock.

"He's the biggest idiot I've ever seen, in Slytherin of course," said James, "He's probably too inbred to be able to think properly, that's what I said with Cygnus this morning anyway."

"Is this your friend Cygnus?" Harry asked.

"Cygnus Sirius Black," said James proudly, "My best friend since primary school, yeah."

"Sorry, did you say, _Sirius Black_?" Harry asked, his translucent face paling slightly.

"Its funny, isn't it, how we have the same middle name?" James said with a grin, "He was named that because his mum respected Sirius or something. His dad's name was Stebbins or something-"

"So was Cygnus' mother at Hogwarts too?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, but a few year above you, I think," said James, it felt weird talking to his parents like this, but also completely natural, it was as if he has known them his whole life, as if they had never died.

Harry looked pensive for a few moments, "I'm sure I would have remembered if there was a Black at school at the same time as us-"

"She was a muggle born I think," said James, "So not a _real_ Black, that's what Malfoy called Cygnus anyway."

"James I want you to be careful with all this blood nonsense," Harry said sternly, "Its important to remember that everyone is equal, no matter their background. People like Malfoy need to be reminded of that."

"I know dad," said James, "Thanks."

"You should go," said Ginny, "You don't want to get too caught up with us."

"I don't want to," James said, suddenly feeling like a small child being asked to leave the playground on a sunny day."

"Go," said Harry, "You can always come and see us again sometime."

James smiled weakly at them, "I'll miss you."

"We're proud of you," said Harry, "We never wanted this for you."

James dropped the black stone onto the wet bathroom floor, and they were gone. His dad's final words rang true in his ears, _We never wanted this for you_, but though James felt he couldn't agree more, he also felt content. This may not have been the life he wanted, but who was to say that it wasn't a good life?

"Cygnus!" James called for his friend to come back into the bathroom, and the door swung open.

"Yeah?"

"Its all yours," he chucked the stone in the direction of the doors, "Just don't take too long, mate. We've got lessons to cut."

**THE END**

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**So, that was my FINAL chapter. I hope you liked it! And if you're unsatisfied with the ending, then tough luck! But don't worry, I've got plans for a seqeul brewing in my mind, and any extra inspiration you can give would be much appreciated.**

**DEDICATED TO pixieVAMP393, my 300th**** reviewer!**

**Love Mirandoo xxxxxxx**

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	26. Book Two : Prologue

**Hello again people! I've decided that instead of adding the sequel to a new story, I'll make it a continuation of this one, just to make it easier for you guys to read! Enjoy :)**

* * *

**Through Different Eyes: The Watcher's Tale**

Prologue-

It was a dark, moonlit night it late July, as the two women walked briskly down the lane, exactly in time with each others steps. The chill in the air could have been cut with a knife, yet the women seemed not to feel the cold, as they wore long summer dresses and shawls. They walked along the overgrown lane in silence, occasionally stopping and making odd concentric movements with their hands as though batting away midges, or stroking an invisible horse. But the Watcher knew that both these things were impossible- yet there was something intriguing about the women all the same, and if he didn't get a good story, Mr. Walker would definitely give him the sack.

"It must be down here somewhere," said the shorter of the two, in the dark it was hard to make out any further distinguishing features, "I still don't see why we can't just _apparate_!"

"Because, _Sara_," said the taller of the two, she had waist length blonde hair that reflected the crescent moonlight from above, "It's a muggle themed party, I thought we should arrive as muggles do!"

"I hardly think _muggles_ fly from London on Thestrals, Luna," said Sara.

"Well, they needed some exercise," Luna argued, "And anyway, would you rather have _walked_?"

"I hardly think muggles would _walk _from London either Luna!" Sara retorted.

"Well, if you think you're so _clever_ Sara," Luna snapped, "How _would_ muggles get from London to Merlin-knows-where?"

"By _car_," replied Sara, "Or bus- we could have taken the Knight Bus even!"

"But we're supposed to be muggles!" said Luna, "I told Rolf he had to wear a suit this evening, and guess what he came downstairs in?"

"A nappy with a rubber chicken on his head?" asked Sara.

"No," said Luna, "Sun colours. Bright yellow robes."

"Bloody hell," Sara cackled, "I thought even _you_ only wore those to weddings! So what did you do?"

"Sent him upstairs to go change," said Luna, "I told him if he didn't come downstairs wearing the most boring suit in existence, I'd hex him until he'd be unable to eat Gurdyroots ever again."

"And we all know what a hardship _that_ would be," Sara muttered under her breath.

They were silent for a while after that, which gave the watcher time to scribble down his notes on what they were saying. He had followed the two after the appeared to land in a field on two invisible flying carpets- at first he had thought he was going mad, until he heard the women speak. They were _definitely_ not in his imagination. What really confused him were these things they kept talking of as though they were common knowledge- Thestrals? Gurdyroots? Apparate? What did these things mean? Perhaps the women were foreign, but this would not explain how they had such a good grasp of english.

"Is that it?" Sara piped up again, pointing to a point some miles away. The point in the distance appeared to be a rickety old building with several lights on. The Watcher knew this house, an eccentric woman and her mad husband lived there- they used to have children, but they'd all moved away, he couldn't blame them. Strange goings on always seemed to happen around that old house, so the villagers tended to steer clear of it all together- yet these two women were going to a _party_ there. They were clearly not locals.

"Could be," replied Luna, "Its hard to tell when its so dark- if only I had a Luminous Wranklfurt!"

"If only," said Sara wryly, "Come on Luna, we're so late now the party will have started hours ago- maybe even over by now! Lets just apparate there!"

"Oh alright," Luna said in defeat, "But what about the Thestrals?"

"I'm pretty sure they can take care of themselves for one evening," said Sara, "Just send them home!"

Luna seemed to tap an invisible animal about a foot away from her, and Sara did the same. There was suddenly a feeling as though something had left the lane- could there have been two invisible animals there? Nothing would surprise him with these two. They suddenly grabbed each others hands, turned sharply on the spot, and disappeared with a loud POP. The watched rubbed his eyes in amazement, yet the women did not reappear, it seemed as though they had literally vanished. But the Watcher knew where they were going- so he ran in the direction of the rickety building over the hill.

When he was within earshot the building, he suddenly found himself rather confused. He had a sudden urge to go and water the flowers in his mother's back garden, that was, until he remembered, when he was around 100 metres from where he had had the urge, that his mother had died some seven months previously. Shaking his head, the watched turned around and headed back in the direction the old house, finding that again, he needed to water his mother's flowers. However this time he remembered immediately that his mother was dead, and so continued on in the direction of the house. He stopped some 50 metres from the open kitchen window, and hid in a bush nearby. He found himself a little cranny through which to watch the antics of inside the house, he could hear the warbling of a woman singing a song he'd never heard before, _Oh, come and stir my cauldron, And if you do it rightI'll boil you up some hot, strong love, To keep you warm tonight_….. How strange, surely there couldn't be such a popular song that he had never heard before. The watcher suddenly had a suspicion that these were no ordinary people.

"Dinner's served!" called the crazy lady who normally lived in the house, "Ron dear, can you call the children."

"James! Rose! Fred! Roxy! Alice! Lysander! Lorcan! DINNER!" bellowed a cheerful looking red-haired man, but there was a mournful look to his face, "_Lysander and Lorcan,_" he shook his head in despair, "They'll be down in a moment mum- do you need some help with the potatoes?"

The man, who was obviously called Ron, walked over to his mother by the window and withdrew a long stick about the length of his forearm from the pocket of his jeans. He jabbed the stick at the humungous pot of roast potatoes sitting on the draining board, and they rose a foot into the air, as though suspended by invisible strings. He followed them through the air with his stick, and made them land, with a soft _thud_ on the vast kitchen table.

"Just because you have your wand back Ron, it doesn't mean you need to help out with _everything_," scolded Ron's mother. A wand? What on earth were these people talking about. There was no such thing as wizards! But that trick Ron had performed did seem rather real… at that moment there was a rumbling of footsteps, as seven children arrived in the kitchen all at once. They looked in high spirits as the black haired boy, who couldn't have been older than thirteen burst out laughing. The watcher could barely contain himself, he took out his camera and took a quick picture of the scene- that would be perfect for the story.

"How are we then, James?" said another red-headed man, getting up from the sofa, "Not been up to _too_ much mischief have you?" he added with a wink.

"Of course not Uncle George," said James innocently, "We were just playing in your old bedroom and-" he burst out laughing again.

"-and what?" asked Uncle George, trying to appear stern.

"Look what happened to Rose dad!" burst out another red-headed boy, pointing at the face of the girl standing next to him, it was only then that everyone, including the watcher, noticed the large black eye Rose was sporting.

"Those Telescopes!" cried a bushy-haired woman, leaping up from the sofa, "You said you'd through those out nearly 20 years ago George! How are they still there!"

"Must have missed one," said George, though he was grinning ear to ear, "Lucky for you Rosie, I now know how to remove them- unlike for your mother here, she was stuck with on for a day before I found the remedy-"

"OUCH!" the watcher screamed suddenly as he felt a sharp bite on his lower leg, he looked down to see a disgusting, brown creature knowing on his calf. He shook it off, and ran in the other direction, but not before the family in the house could get a good look at him.

* * *

"He's bloody ruined us!" Hermione shouted angrily as she threw the paper on the kitchen table the next morning.

"Who has dear?" asked Ron groggily, looking up from his cornflakes.

"That muggle!" Hermione replied.

"Which?" Ron sighed.

"Last week, remember, at Neville's birthday party!" snapped Hermione, "The man who got bitten by the gnome?"

"Oh him," said Ron, "I thought dad found him, sorted him out-"

"-well he didn't!" Hermione cut him off, shoving that morning's muggle newspaper in front of her husband's face. This wasn't something that had been allowed to happen much over the past few years, as until last summer Ron had been in the Wizarding prison Azkaban, accused of killing his best friend and his sister. Of course, he had been innocent. However it had taken the work of James Potter, Ron and Hermione's 12 year old nephew, to clear his name. Ron looked at the front page of _The Times_.

_THE WATCHER'S TALE_

_Last week while on one of my evening strolls I came across a rather peculiar sight. In a field, not too far from my home in Ottery St. Catchpole I saw two women. Not terribly extraordinary I hear you say- well you couldn't be more wrong. You see, these women were arriving to this field not by car or by bus, as you might suggest, but by some means of flying. I later discovered this means to be an invisible Horse named 'Thestral'. The women landed in the field, and proceeded to walk along the path nearby, they talked of a party they were planning on going to, and of things unimaginable by any human eye, a 'Gurdyroot' being one of them. All of a sudden these women disappeared, with a quiet POP, into thin air, but not before disclosing the location of their party. I continued along the road until I found myself near to the location, where I found I met with the urge to water my mother's flowers, that was, until I remembered that my mother was dead…._

Ron stopped reading there. He couldn't believe it. A muggle had found them, and printed a story about them in the most popular muggle newspaper in the country. He skimmed the rest of the article, picking out words such as _wand_, _Ron _and _Wizard._

"_What does this mean?_" Ron asked worriedly.

"What do you bloody think it means, you muppet?" Hermione replied with a grimace, "They'll need more than Obliviators to sort this one out."

* * *

**I hope you've enjoyed this story so far, so as ever...**

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	27. Chapter 1 : A Black Summer

Chapter 1-

_Alright mate?_

_How're the Hols going so far? I hope Ronnikins isn't hasn't tried to murder you yet…. What! Too soon? Seriously, how is life in the Granger-Weasley household? Its weird not having you just round the corner, but it IS good having you living with Hermione. I ran into Dudley the other day and said hi, I actually think he's sad to see you go! Not Carol though, apparently she celebrated by cleaning the entire house from top to toe- Merlin! That woman knows how to live! Mums fine thanks, but you know all about her anyway…._

_Have you managed to hide the You-Know-What yet? I just think its for the best, I mean, who knows what could happen if it got into the wrong hands? Did you hear about that article in the _Times _last week? Serious stuff! Mum says sometimes she wishes the muggles just knew we existed, and she's not one of the only ones! I don't really know what to think myself, but I do know she's stopped buying _The Prophet_! All the ministry have to do is make a big hush up about it and it'll be forgotten as the crisis that almost was…. Anyway, I'd love to come and stay with you guys, it would be nice to see Rosie again, I miss her constant babble of useless information! I'll get mum to owl Hermione, she still hasn't warmed to Ron so much…_

_See ya soon,_

_Cygnus_

James lay the letter down on his brand new desk and then slumped back on his bed. He had to admit, he did like his new bedroom, and it was certainly an improvement on his last one. On the first day of the summer holidays he, Hermione and Rose had gone to the local decorators to pick out some new curtains and furniture for him, and his room was now furnished in glorious Gryffindor gold and red. Ron had laughed when he first saw the room, and said it was exactly like the room of someone else he used to know, right down to the Quidditch photo stuck above his writing desk.

James had not spent his summer holidays so far as many ordinary twelve year old boys might, as you would expect for a boy like James to spend the hazy days of July playing football in the park with his friends, and going swimming in the local pool. But James was not an ordinary twelve year old boy. James was a wizard, and one of the best in his year at school, the best, of course, was his cousin Rose, who took after her mother, in that she could transform a teacup into a turtle at a fifth year level, despite being only six months older than James was himself. Up until last year, James had lived with his father's cousin, his wife, Carol, and their son, Dunstan, who was a month older than James. He had never been badly treated, or particularly loved at the Dursley's house, he had merely been _there_, an extra member of an otherwise perfect family, at least in the eyes of James' great aunt Petunia. Then, just a few days before James' eleventh birthday, he had received a letter from Hogwarts informing him that he was infact a wizard, and had a place at their school to learn magic. Not only this, but his childhood best friend, Cygnus, has also received such a letter, and would be going to Hogwarts with him. Last year James and his friends had freed Ron, who had until March been convicted with the deaths of James' parents, or helping with then at least.

It was two weeks until his new term was to begin at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he was going to become a second year, along with Cygnus, and his cousins Rose and Fred. It was truly the happiest James could remember being in his life.

"Knock knock!" someone opened his bedroom door.

James sat up hurriedly, and made an attempt to tidy his room, "Uh, yeah I was _just_ tidying my room Hermione-"

"-mum's out James," said Rose, shutting the door quickly behind her, "Which I must say is a relief! She's been watching me like a hawk ever since that article. She doesn't want us to know what's happening- oh! Cygnus finally replied did he? That's nice. I was starting to worry, a whole summer and not a word of reply! You'd think he'd been locked in a cupboard or something!"

"Yeah, I suppose," James said quietly. To be honest he hadn't thought at all about why Cygnus hadn't written, he'd been so busy with Fred and Rose he began to think that Cygnus was doing the same in Surrey. Only Surrey was miles away. And Cygnus was there on his own, "I feel really bad for leaving him with just his mum for company."

"What else could you do?" Rose asked sympathetically, sitting on his bed, "Live with Dudley and Carol for the rest of your life-?"

"-not bloody likely!" said James hurriedly, "But wouldn't it be great if Cygnus could live here too? Or at least _visit_ every other day like Fred does!"

"Has it ever crossed your mind that _we _could visit _him_?" Rose asked, James said nothing, "Didn't think so. You sometimes can be really self centred James Potter."

"Me? Self centred? Are you from Russia and don't understand English Rose, no offence to the Russians or anything but- I'm far from self-centred," he stated, James was considered many things by many people, arrogant, intelligent, annoying, but never self-centred.

"Then why not floo our friend Mr. Black?" Rose asked him.

"Fine," said James, hurrying through the door and down the thin staircase two steps at a time until he tripped, and, with a sound of breaking china and bruised bones, landed on something rather softer than the wooden floor.

"Whoa, slow down James," said Ron, pushing James off him and standing up, "You don't need to be going that fast in my house until Voldemort appears in your bedroom claiming he's risen to full power once more-"

"-sorry Ron," James said quickly, getting himself up and walking at a more measured pace into the living room, "Trying to prove a point to Rose-"

"-by killing me? I need to have words with my daughter," Ron muttered, making his way up the stairs, flicking his wand to regain his fallen cup of tea. James meanwhile grabbed a handful of floo powder and stuffed his head in the fire.

"Cygnus Black," he said clearly, and felt a rather odd squeezing sensation that tickled his ears, and then, all of a sudden he could see Cygnus' front room, and hear all the noises in the house.

"-can't go! Its not happening, you'll be influenced against our beliefs!" Mrs. Black was screaming.

"Your beliefs mum!" Cygnus roared back, "I don't believe any of that crap!"

"Don't you dare use that tone with me young man," Andromeda shouted, "Or I might not let you go back to Hogwarts. You've been spending too much time with James Potter-"

"-but you _liked_ James when we were little, infact, up until about three weeks ago you liked him!" said Cygnus, "He's a _charming_ boy you used to say-"

"-but that was before I knew-"

"-knew? You don't _know_ anything, you're just believing what _she's_ been telling you! You don't even know who she bloody is do you?"

"I know better than you do young man," scolded Andromeda, "You'll think kindly not to talk to me like that again."

"Whatever, you old hag," said Cygnus grumpily, opening the door to the living room, where James' head was sitting in the fire, "James? What? Look, mum can't see you here- she… I can't come to stay this summer okay, see you at school bye!"

"But-" but it was too late, as James had been forced back into the living room of his house in Kew. What on earth had that been about? James had to admit he'd never heard Cygnus' mum quite so angry before, so he did what you always do in times of need.

"Rose!" he called up the stairs, "Can you come to the kitchen for a moment?"

"What is it James?" Rose shouted back down, "Did you talk to Cygnus?"

"That's the problem!" James called back, before heading the kitchen at the back of the house. He jumped up onto the work surface by the window and perched on the edge of it.

"What do you mean? The problem?" Rose asked him, hurrying into the kitchen and pulling up a chair, "He's okay isn't he?"

"Oh yeah, he's fine," said James grumpily, "He can't come and stay though, his mum doesn't want us 'influencing his beliefs' or something."

"What do you mean his beliefs? The only belief Cygnus has is a belief that he's the best at everything," scoffed Rose, "Did he say this to you-?"

"-not exactly," said James, remembering how he had overheard the conversation, "But it was pretty clear. That's not it, I got the impression Cygnus' mum has been talking to someone… dodgy-"

"What do you mean _dodgy_?" Rose asked again.

"I dunno, but some woman- that's where he's getting these so called beliefs from, his mums talking to some woman who hates us!"

"So that's why he can't come and stay?" Rose asked, "because some random friend of his mums doesn't like us? I got the impression Andromeda had more sense than that."

"Well I did too, only-"

"-I need to do some research," said Rose hurriedly, "See you later James!"

It was hours before anyone in the Weasley household set eyes upon its youngest female member again, as Rose ad locked herself inside her bedroom with the World Wide Wizarding Web on, an idea taken from the muggle internet. James had begun to tire of when Rose insisted upon doing days of 'research' of course, they would almost always end up with some incredible result, but they frustrated him none the less.

"Sometimes," said Ron through a hunk of bread, "I wish Rosie was less like her mother-"

"-Ron!" scolded Hermione, "There's nothing wrong with a healthy curiosity-"

"-aunt Hermione, _I_ have a healthy curiosity," said James wearily, "Rose has an _obsessive_ curisoty-"

"-she likes to know the truth," said Hermione, holding up a hand as Ron protested, "and don't you start Ronald Weasley, we all know we were exactly the same at her age."

Ron gave a fed-up sigh and slumped into the kitchen chair, "I'm bored!" he whined like a small child.

"Then go out," said Hermione angrily, "And stop acting like a child Ron, we all got tired of that act when we were thirteen."

Ron stood up and ambled past James, tapping him on the shoulder as he walked past and whispering in his ear, "Life lesson number one- never marry a childhood friend."

* * *

**Sorry for two things... 1) the incredibly long amount of time since my last update, and 2) the boring-ness and shortness of this chapter :S call it writers block!**

**Thanks for reading, the next chapter may be a while coming though :)**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

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	28. Chapter 2 : A Black Revelation

Chapter 2-

The morning of the first of September arrived crisp and golden as an apple, and as the little family bobbed across the rumbling road toward the great sooty station, the fumes of car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs in the cold air. Two large cages tattled on top of the laden trolleys the two children were pushing; the owls inside them hooted indignantly, as the parents hurried to keep up with the black haired boy.

"Hurry up you three!" James laughed as he headed towards the platform, it was half past ten, and they wouldn't make the Hogwart's Express if they didn't hurry up, "We'll miss the train!"

"I told you we should have apparated!" Ron scoffed to his wife, "We would have been here an hour ago!"

"We didn't need to be here an hour ago dad," said Rose grumpily, "but an extra few minutes might have been nice-"

"-and I told you, Ronald, that apparating can be a challenge for children-" Hermione began.

"-_children!_" James exclaimed, "I'm nearly thirteen!"

"By nearly, you mean in six months James," Rose corrected.

"Shut up," said James, "Anyway, I'm not a child. I'm a very responsible person-"

"-you're about as responsible as a three-horned snorgage!" said Rose, as they arrived at the barrier between platforms nine and ten, she took a small run up, and then disappeared through the seemingly solid wall, James followed soon after her, and behind him, Ron and Hermione. The two of them emerged

onto platform nine and three-quarters, which was obscured by thick white steam that was pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, into which James and Rose had already disappeared.

"Spilt up and look for them?" Ron mumbled.

"They'll find us soon enough," Hermione chuckled, "Should we look for George?"

"Might as well," said Ron, peering through the dense vapour surrounding the couple, "His hair would act like a beacon in this fog!"

"Speak for yourself Ron," fussed Hermione, pushing her way through the obscured crowd in search of Ron's brother. Meanwhile, Rose and James searched for Fred Weasley , George's son, James and Rose's cousin, and one of their best friends, Cygnus Black.

"Where are they?" Rose whined, narrowing her eyes to try and see the train through the white mist.

"We'll find them," James reassured her, pushing his trolley past a very elderly lady in a feather boa and decorative hat, "They'll be on the train, I'm sure of it!"

"But what about mum and dad?" Rose asked anxiously, the idea of not saying goodbye to her parents scared her, "We can't just leave them!"

"They're old enough to look after themselves," James said confidently, laughing at his cousin's scepticism, he loved Rose to bits, but she was a little too much of a worrier. For the last few weeks, she had spent much of her time holed up in her room reading books, as their friend Cygnus had acted incredibly strangely when they had last spoken. Since then she had tried to come up with a number of theories, the least likely of which being he had been inducted into a cult. They pushed through the crowd towards the scarlet steam engine, still gushing steam, James thought he heard his uncle Percy loudly discussing broomstick regulations with another parent, and was glad not have to stop and say hi, he didn't really fancy one of Percy's cold handshakes.

"-now, I want you to be on your best behaviour this term young man," a familiar voice rang from somewhere nearby. James made a grab for Rose's shoulder with his free hand, but he couldn't find her. It was strange quite how scary it was to be alone in the mist, even in such a loud and familiar place.

"-mum, just leave it, okay," said another familiar voice, this one of a boy, "I won't have anything to do with them, okay!" But his promise didn't sound at all whole hearted.

"I'll be keeping in touch with your professors to ensure of that young man, and if I hear one word of any such thing-"

"-you'll send me to the local comp. I know, I know. Bye mum," he replied, before pushing his trolley right into James.

"-god… sorry! Oh, James its you," Cygnus grinned at his best friend, though it wasn't so sincere as it could have been.

"Alright mate?" James grinned back, "Good summer? It feels like an age since we were at school last, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does," Cygnus replied distantly, "So much has happened, you know?"

James really didn't know, as the most that had happened to him was being involved in a slightly more public than it was meant to be birthday party, but he nodded enthusiastically at Cygnus, "Lets get rid of our trunks yeah? Then we can go find Rose… I have no idea where she's got to!"

"Yeah," Cygnus glanced around hurriedly in the mist, as though checking no one was looking. James thought this was curious, as you could barely see your own hand in front of your face, let alone been watched by anyone, but he found himself instinctively doing the same. He had to admit that he had a feeling as though he had been being watched all day. First of all, there had been a rather curious looking dog scouting around outside their house in Kew when they'd been packing up the car the morning. When uncle Ron saw it he dropped Luna's cage on his foot and run into the house, leaving James to pick her up. He had assumed it was just because Ron was a cat Animagus, and cats, by nature, hate dogs. But then there had been the odd looking woman who he'd seen outside the newsagent's down the road, and again outside the station, when they'd parked the car. Of course he'd been in a hurry, so blamed it on a trick of the light. After all, why would anyone be watching them? James wouldn't have considered it at, but after the incident in the summer his entire family had been on a very close watch for any strange looking people.

"Why d'you look so nervous Cyg?" James asked him, "Not worried you're being followed are you?"

"No, course not," Cygnus laughed, but still continued to furrow his brows as they pushed their trolleys towards the train.

Once they had rid themselves of their trolleys, they steam was beginning to clear, which meant the train would leave any minute. James finally caught sight of a group of red-headed people, and immediately headed towards them with Cygnus in tow, whose uneasy look had lifted somewhat in the last few minutes. James soon found himself in the centre of a very large group of Weasleys.

"James!" Hermione gasped, "Wherever were you! We were worried sick-"

"-correction Hermione, _you_ were worried sick," George laughed, "We were betting on whether or not James had run into some new arch rival to defeat-"

"-that's not funny George!" Hermione scolded, "I thought you'd been kidnapped-"

"-by who?" James scoffed, "Who would want to kidnap me?"

"Well-" Ron began, but Hermione cut him off.

"Come along you four," she said, gesturing to James, Rose, Cygnus and Fred, who had just arrived, also rid of his trolley, "You'd best get onto the train or there'll be no seats left!"

She pushed them hurriedly towards the closest compartment of the quickly filling Hogwart's Express. It was strange how much emptier the platform seemed once all the mist had cleared, as without the white fog, or the students, James swore he could see the woman from outside the newsagent's earlier. He shook it off and hopped up onto the train.

"Write me as soon as you get there Rosie! I don't know what I'll do at home alone all term," Ron called up to her as she, James, Fred and Cygnus found the only empty compartment.

"Ronald!" Hermione bashed him, "She's a second year, she'll be far too busy working to have a moment spare to write to you-"

"-yes, because we all did _so_ much work in second year," said George, "Wasn't that the year we-"

"-attacked Angelina for the first time?" Ron asked him, "Yes, I do believe it was!"

Angelina grinned happily from her husband's side, "He was just showing his love for me-"

"-by turning your hair pink?" Ron laughed, "That really is the best way to woo a lady-"

"-like you did much better Ron!" Hermione laughed, "In first year, I distinctly remember you calling me a swot!"

"In the nicest _possible_ way," Ron grinned. The train was slowly beginning to pull away from the station, and as it did so, James felt himself pressing his nose against the cold glass window, watching the faces blur past him, as the train chugged out of the sooty station.

"Here we are again lads," said Fred, before quickly correcting himself at Rose's scowl, "And lasses-"

"-this is only our second year," Cygnus said sulkily, "Stop acting like a bloody veteran."

"What's up with you Cygnus?" James asked him, "You've been grumpy since I saw you!"

"I just didn't have breakfast okay," he said hurriedly, as James knew his best friend didn't do very well until he'd eaten, he could almost have believed it, but there was a hint of a lie in his eyes. He decided to let it slide this time, maybe Cygnus really was just hungry.

"Speaking of," said Fred, "When d'you reckon the trolleys gonna come along?"

"Well, since we left… oh, 2 minutes ago," said Rose, "I'd say any second now!"

"Ha di ha ha," said Fred sulkily, "I'm _hungry_!"

"We gathered that," said James, and he had to admit, he was hungry to despite having had breakfast two hours ago. James was very tall for his age, and often found himself towering above the other members of his year, apparently it was a Weasley gene. James found this surprising, considering he had almost no Weasley in him whatsoever, he had thought of himself to be all Potter, because of his messy black hair and glasses.

"How was your summer in the end Cygnus?" Rose asked politely, her tone making it seem as though she was trying not to make it obvious that they knew more about it than they should.

"It was okay," their friend replied monotonously, "I didn't do much."

"Not go on holiday anywhere?"

"We went to Bristol for the weekend to stay with some friends," he replied, again with no emotion to his voice, "That was fun. And we went to London for the day, but all we did was look at some old house all day."

Rose looked worriedly at James, it wasn't like Cygnus to be so quiet, as usually he was loud and full of energy. This new, restrained Cygnus was completely out of the ordinary. James just hoped it was because he was tired from the early start this morning, and not that, as Rose has suspected, been inducted into a cult.

The journey continued in this manner, as Rose, Fred and James joked around, Cygnus sat quietly by the window, only speaking when he was spoken to, and never joining in the fun. Even when Malfoy came along and James turned his nose into a pig's snout, Cygnus didn't even giggle, he just sat there quietly, minding his own business. When the lady from the trolley came by, he didn't buy a thing, and when James and Fred bought nearly the entire stock, he didn't share a mouthful of their food.

"Cygnus, why're you being such a boring prat today!" Fred suddenly burst out, just after they passed over the Scottish border.

"Not everything in life is fun and games, Fred," sneered Cygnus, "Sometimes there are more serious things going on in the world than _pumpkin pasties_." He said the last word like it left a horrid taste behind, which James thought odd, since Cygnus usually loved pumpkin pasties.

"Like what?" Rose asked suddenly, "You can't still be going on about your mum-" she stopped herself suddenly.

"-what about my mum?" Cygnus asked coolly.

"Well, we thought she didn't…" Rose stopped and gave a pleading look to James.

"We thought your mum wasn't going to let you come back to school mate," he finished for her.

"_I knew it_," Cygnus hissed, "You little sneaks listened in on my conversation with my mum-"

"-it was pretty hard not to!" said James, "You were bellowing to the rooftops!"

But Cygnus wasn't listening, and instead he stood up slowly, and walked silently from the compartment, slamming the door so hard behind him that the glass pane shook in it's frame. Their compartment was silent for several minutes, as each of them went of the gravitas of what had just happened. Of course Cygnus had always been hot headed, but he'd never got so angry about such a trivial thing before.

"What was all that about?" Fred asked bemusedly.

"Oh of course, Fred!" Rose gasped, "You didn't know!"

"Rose thinks Andy's been inducted into some kind of cult, mate," said James, "I thought she was barking, but the way Cygnus just acted, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd been inducted too!"

"Wow," said Fred, "Heavy stuff. Are you sure Cygnus hasn't just had something like a relative dying to make him on edge?"

"He doesn't really have any relatives," said James, "Its just him and his mum-"

"-what about his grandma?" Rose asked.

"Dead."

"Both of them?"

"Yeah," said James, "His mum's mum died when he was about eight, his mum was really beaten up about it, but mostly because it meant she'd never find out who her dad was."

"Well its pretty obvious isn't it?" Fred laughed.

"What's obvious?" James asked.

"Who her dad is," said Fred, "How many wizarding Blacks are there!"

"Merlin!" Rose gasped, "You're right!"

"Right about what?" James asked them, he had absolutely no idea what they were talking about."Well think about it James," said Rose, "It all fits! What's Cygnus' mum's name-?"

"-Andromeda," James replied instantly, "So what?"

"Teddy's grandma's called Andromeda," said Rose, trying to help James understand, "And she's related to the Blacks-"

Of course, it suddenly dawned on him. James remembered Teddy saying he was related to Malfoy… and Malfoy was related to the Blacks, he had boasted about it last year. Cygnus's mum was named after her father's favourite cousin… Cygnus's middle name was _Sirius_…

"_Sirius Black_!" James shouted so suddenly that Rose and Fred jumped in their seats, "Cygnus' granddad was Sirius Black!"

"Glad you got there eventually mate," said Fred smugly, "I assumed he already knew he was a Black? I mean its pretty obvious!"

"Things are often less obvious when they're happening to you Fred," said Rose, "Unless you're looking at the all together, you wouldn't see a link at all. To Cygnus they all probably seem like isolated facts."

"Remind me again how he got such good exam results?" said James, still in a little shock over the revelation. He had to tell Cygnus that he knew!

* * *

**HAHA! New Chapter, and lots of mystery... and unmystery... introduced...**

**a small confession to make, i can't remember whether or not Cygnus knows who his grandad is, and if i've already included this, just tell me and i'll re-write the chapter :) i'm sorry, i have a bad memory!**

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	29. Chapter 3 : Lily Potter's Sorting

Chapter 3-

The sun was beginning to set behind the rolling Scottish hills as the Hogwart's Express continued to chug through the heathery moor, casting an orange shadow over James' face, which was pressed up against the cool window of the train, so that it had fogged up around his nose and mouth. James, Rose and Fred hadn't seen Cygnus since he stormed off earlier, and that had been at least two hours ago, they were beginning to worry about him, as they couldn't help but worry that he'd ended up being attacked by some Slytherins further down the train. It wasn't as if Cygnus couldn't look after himself, but some of the older students in Slytherin were pretty terrifying.

"I'm going to go find him!" Fred announced bravely for the fourth time in the last ten minutes.

"You say that," said James, "But really you're just going to sit here procrastinating for another few minutes before announcing proudly yet again that you're going to go find him. Give it up Freddie, we'll see Cygnus as school."

"I'm worried about him James," said Rose, "What if he really didn't want us to hear-?"

"-well its not your fault is it!" interrupted Fred, "He should have been more careful-"

"-well he hardly knew we were going to Floo him at that exact moment in time did he?" said James, "Stop being so touchy Fred, we all know its your time of the month."

Fred snarled at James, who recoiled slightly. He tried to think of Fred as just his cousin, but sometimes he couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear every time he got angry. He knew that Fred was only a werewolf at the full moon, but those stupid vampire books Dunstan used to read still stuck in his mind. The werewolves in them turned when they were angry.

"Well I think he's being incredibly immature about all this," said Rose matter-of-factly, "If I were him I wouldn't care what my mother had said to me, I'd follow my gut-"

"-says the girl who hated her own father for eleven years because her mum told her to," said Fred.

"In my defence I thought he was evil!"

"You didn't even know who he was!" said Fred, "You just believed what your mum told you, because that's what kids do-"

"-and you believed that if you didn't have a glass of milk every night that Voldemort would kill you!" Rose laughed.

"Exactly," said Fred, but he had turned a most fetching shade of beetroot, "I never said I didn't-"

James started to laugh, "You didn't _actually_ believe that did you!"

"I was four-"

"-when I was four I knew Barack Obama was president of America-" James began.

"-but I though Alistair Van Wyck was the American Minister of Magic?" said Fred.

"-The muggle president, idiot," said Rose, "Now its that woman, whats she called-?"

There was a knock at the glass door, and a small boy with a shock of white-blonde hair entered the compartment. He had a pointy chin and a very sour expression on his ghostly pale face. On either side of him were Jack Riddle, a surly muggle born boy, and Marvin Baddock a Slytherin with more fingers than brain cells.

"Ah, I seem to have found the most undersubscribed compartment on the train, even Black appears to not want to sit with you," Scorpius Malfoy sneered, "And why would he? Discussing muggle politics! Tut tut," he looked at James, "You should know better Potter," he said, "You're parents were of good breed I suppose. Maybe growing up with _muggles_ had a bad effect on you… shame-"

"Give it a rest Malfoy," said James, "Everyone knows you're fathers a disgrace after his comments in _The Prophet_-"

"My father is far from disgraced!" said Malfoy, "In fact, the minister has written him a personal letter of gratitude for-"

"-being a prize twerp?" James finished for him, "I knew that already, by the way, next time you see him, tell him that I'm sorry for killing his dear old friend. He'll know what I you mean-"

"-the only thing you've killed, Potter is the wizarding image!"

"And the most evil witch in recent times…" James said casually.

"Are you meaning to suggest that my father was in league with… _her_?" Malfoy gasped.

"Pretty much," said James casually, "He was too stupid to come up with a new angle, soo… he just followed his fathers- I suppose you'll be doing the same when the next evil leader comes along… that is to say, if you yourself aren't that evil leader-"

"-I suppose you're not so well informed as you think then, Potter," Malfoy laughed, "Lets go Riddle, Baddock." With that he turned on his heels and swaggered down towards his own compartment.

"Ah," James sat back in his seat, "Term hasn't truly begun until I've won a fight with Malfoy-"

"-you don't actually think you won that, do you?" Rose scoffed, "Malfoy proved you didn't know what was going on, you lost James-"

"-Did not," said James.

"Oh yes, of course," said Rose, "You're an arrogant little git, of course you thought you won."

"What was he talking about do you think?" asked Fred.

"I don't know," said Rose, "I thought mum and dad would have told us any big news-"

"-unless they're trying to protect us, Rosie," James pointed out, and it was true, Hermione and Ron had been acting rather strange over the last few weeks. James had noticed their worried looks towards him every time he glanced at the paper, or their hurried subject changes whenever he or Rose had brought up something… the only the he didn't know, was what they _were_ keeping from him. Their compartment was silent once more, and the lights in the train were beginning to flicker as the golden sunset disappeared behind the mountains, and the moor land turned to causeways a lochs. There was a soft whistle someway in the distance, and James could tell they were fast approaching Hogsmeade station. He pulled his mahogany wand from his jeans pocket and rubbed it on his jumper.

"This's got a bit dirty over the summer," he pointed out to the other two, who were both staring out of the window as James had been.

"Huh?" Fred asked sleepily.

"My wand," said James, holding it up so that the polished wood glinted slightly in the dim light of the carriage, "It's got all dusty over the summer-"

"-my wand!" Fred suddenly exclaimed, reaching into his own jeans pocket, "I knew I'd forgotten something, only-"

"-you forgot your wand?" Rose asked sceptically, "Well. That's impressive, even for you Freddie!"

"What am I going to do!" he wailed, "My wand. I-forgot-my-wand-"

"-uh, Freddie," James said slowly, reaching into Fred's rucksack on the overhead rack and pulling out a long thin wooden object, "You're wand's in your backpack…"

"Oh," Fred said, his ears turning a fetching shade of scarlet as he took his wand from James' outstretched hand, "Cheers mate. I'm a little-"

"-on edge?" Rose asked sympathetically, "I think we all are… Come on now! We need to change into our robes, we'll be getting into school soon."

* * *

As the train pulled into the station the sky was black as the ink in a quill and the almost full moon was barely visible through the thick white steam still billowing from the engine. The Hogwarts student were pouring from their individual carriages and onto the platform, the first years easily recognised by their confused expressions and lack of direction as they were buffeted about by the older students, all in long black cloaks. James, Rose and Fred kept an eye out for Cygnus, but he was no where to be seen. They were still unsure of how he had been about to change into his robes, as they had been in their compartment the entire time, inside Cygnus' rucksack. They made their way past the first years, who looked rather daunted as they approached Hagrid, still calling 'Firs' years! Firs' years over 'ere!', towards the carriages. They were filling up fast, and the three of them found themselves sitting beside two rather surly looking Ravenclaw fourth year girls. They looked at each other as they saw James, Rose and Fred sit down, and raised their eyebrows slightly.

"You're James Potter?" one of them asked him.

"Yeah," James said, looking oddly at them, "What of it?"

"No reason," the girl said, before turning back to her friend and talking in heated whispers. James caught only certain words like 'ministry' and 'muggle', and he looked and Rose, who looked just as confused as he did. The castle was looming ahead of them, each little window in each turret and tower gleaming like a firefly. Despite living with Ron and Hermione, James still felt Hogwarts was his first true home, the first place he had been accepted, even loved, for who he was. He wondered how many others had felt the same way about the majestic castle, how many other witches and wizards had found a home at Hogwarts. He felt there were probably more than you'd think.

Their carriage continued alongside the lake and up towards the castle, until it stopped slowly in front of the giant doors. All around them there were students spilling from their own carriages and nearly running into the castle to escape the bitter cold. James, Rose, Fred and the two fourth years did the same, and their carriage left abruptly leaving them to get out of the way and into the castle before they were run over. There was an unmistakable atmosphere of apprehension and excitement in the air, as the buzz of wizards and witches streamed through the entrance hall towards the great hall, where the four house tables were. The Gryffindor table was on the far right, so James, Fred and Rose headed off to that side of the hall where they sat down beside the Lysander Scamander, who looked a little lost without his brother, Lorcan, a Ravenclaw, and Fred's big sister Roxanne.

"Hey Roxy," Fred grinned, "How's Oscar?"

Roxanne turned a very Weasley-like shade of pink most unusual considering her darker colouring, "He'd fine thank you Frederick."

"Did you hear guys? Roxy's got a boyfriend, a seventh year," said Fred, "In Hufflepuff, and _head boy_ no less!"

"Oh Roxy!" Rose swooned, "Not Oscar Kresner?"

Roxanne blushed again and turned to talk to Adrian Schmitt, a boy in her own year.

"Who's Oscar Kresner?" James asked bemusedly.

"Only, like, the most, like, totally dishy guy in like, the whole of Hogwarts," said Fred sarcastically, Rose elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"He's on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, he's captain this year, and he's head boy, and he got _ten_ 'O's in his O.W.L's and he's gorgeous," Rose spouted, "And no one says _dishy_ any more Frederick. Get some new slang."

At that moment, Professor McGonagall stood up to make her start of term speech before the first years were sorted, "Now, as you know, Professor Longbottom, a faithful teacher at Hogwarts has chosen to take a leave of absence, to come to terms with his recent… _difficulties_-" she began. Longbottom had take a _leave of absence_? Why hadn't he mentioned it over the summer… not two weeks ago he'd said he was excited to get back to work-

"-and so, we have appointed a temporary replacement Herbology teacher, until his return," McGonagall continued, "So, I'd like you all to kindly welcome Professor Snow," she gestured to a woman sitting at the end of the teachers table, who looked as little like snow as seemed possible. She had a grey, sallow looking face with heavily hooded eyes and sleek, black hair. She looked as though she was at least sixty, though she didn't have the kind look that many older people had, infact, she looked to be one of the most unpleasant people James had ever seen. Surely this woman couldn't be Longbottom's replacement? She was head of _Gryffindor_?

"-now, as you all know, Professor Longbottom was both Deputy Headmaster and Head of Gryffindor house," McGonagall said stiffly, as though this caused great annoyance to her, "And members of his will be ecstatic to know that Professor Weasley will be replacing him as both these roles!" James let out a cheer at this, as did the rest of Gryffindor, Hermione was his head of house! It had almost slipped his mind over the summer that she was a teacher at all…

McGonagall raised her arms for quiet, "So, with that, may I ask Professor Granger to go and collect the first years to be sorted!"

Hermione stood up hurriedly and rushed towards the door to the antechamber, where a year ago James had stood, unsure of his fate. Within a few moments, Hermione reappeared and placed the Sorting Hat on it's stool, she then returned to the antechamber, and lead a stream of nervous looking first years into the great hall. Each was wearing the black pointed hat as per the uniform list, which the older students had long since lost or 'accidentally set fire to' in James and Cygnus' case. Speaking of Cygnus, James still hadn't seen him since their argument on the train. He looked up and down the Gryffindor table, and sure enough, he saw Cygnus sitting with Kerry Finnegan. Kerry smiled warmly as he saw James staring at him, but Cygnus continued to listen to the sorting hat's song.

"-_I'll have a look inside your mind_

_And tell where you belong!_"

The hall erupted into the usual wave of applause, as Hermione unfurled a long piece of parchment, on which were the names of the first years. James noticed there were far fewer than usual, as there couldn't be more than forty little students waiting to be sorted.

"Ackerly, Fiona," Hermione said clearly, though her voice was shaking somewhat through nerves, a small blonde girl who looked equally nervous stepped up, and was presently sorted into Ravenclaw. 'Amberson, Elliot' became a Hufflepuff, closely followed by 'Bennet, Max' who became the first Slytherin. Hermione continued through the 'B's, the 'C's and the 'D's, as 'Burton' 'Carols' and 'Denston' became Gryffindors and Slytherins.

"Egginton, Eliza," Hermione called, and James' head shot up, as a little girl with shiny blonde hair stood up to be sorted, she looked familiar, only he couldn't remember where he'd seen her before. She became a Gryffindor, and Hermione continued… Evans… Gibbs… Holmes… Hubert…. Lancaster… Moon…

"Potter, Lily!" Hermione called, and then looked confusedly down at her parchment, attempting mentally correcting herself. The entire hall looked towards James, who shrugged, as a little girl with red hair stood forward to be sorted. For a moment James was worried he had gone back in time, and that the girl being called was his grandmother, until he remembered she had been Lily Evans whilst at Hogwarts. Lily Potter smiled as she too became a Gryffindor, and James stared at her as she walked nervously down the Gryffindor table. James smiled warmly at her, and gestured for her to sit with him and Fred, he felt he recognised her from somewhere.

"Hi," she said, as she sat down between James and another first year, "I'm Lily Potter."

"James Potter," James smiled at her, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance Lily."

"We have the same last name," she said nervously, and giggled.

"We do," said James, looking at her, trying to scrape some kind of recognition from her face, he could see no features that could make her a relative of his. He sighed disappointedly and turned back to Rose, who was still staring at Lily. Lily smiled at her, as though she recognised Rose, and then looked to see the rest of her year be sorted. Hermione called the final first year's name, and returned to her seat at McGonagall clapped her hands, and the plates of food appeared on the table. James and Fred instantly grabbed for the roast chicken, as Rose continued to look at Lily.

"So, Lily," Fred started, his mouth full of mashed potato, "Are you _sure _you're not related to old James here. I am, and its not all its cracked up to be-"

"-I'm muggle born," Lily said nervously, "So I doubt it."

James shrugged and continued to natter away to Rose about the Quidditch season, and whether or not Gryffindor's team would be as good, since they'd lost Teddy. Though there was something bothering him, he felt as though he was being watched, which was of course not unusual for him, being one of the most famous wizards at the school, but this was a different kind of being watched. It was more similar to the kind of watched he'd felt this morning at the train station, when that woman-

"Rose!" he said suddenly in a hoarse whisper, "Doesn't Professor Snow look oddly familiar to you?"

Rose looked oddly at him, "You know I was thinking that, but when-"

"-that woman this morning!" James said, hoping Rose had seen her too.

"What woman?" Rose asked, "We didn't meet anyone this morning apart from that stray dog!"

James' heart sank a little, perhaps he was going mad, maybe it was all in his imagination that the woman had been Professor Snow… but the likeness was so strong, "How can you not remember the woman! Outside the newsagents, in the long black cloak-?"

"-I saw a woman in a black cloak outside our newsagent's this morning," Lily piped up, "I pointed her out to Alfie and he said-"

"-I'm sure there are lots of women in cloaks, at lots of different places in the country Lily, but this is a specific one-" James started, but was cut off by Lily again.

"-but it _is_ the same one!" Lily whined, "In Kew! I live there too!"

Then James remembered where he'd seen her before, that little family he'd seen last Christmas at Hermione's house! The one he'd wished was his own, back when he felt as though he had no family. The one Hermione had though _was_ his own. And here was the little daughter, Lily.

"So is Alfie your brother?" James asked her warmly.

"Yeah," Lily grinned, "He's your age, but he's not weird like me-"

"-who said you were weird Lily?" Rose suddenly asked worriedly.

"He did," said Lily, "He's been angry at me since I got my letter in June, and mummy and daddy blame me and-"

"-I know how you feel," said James, thinking of when he got his own letter, and Aunt Carol's resentment of it, "My aunt hated me for a while after I got my letter."

"But what about your parents?" Lily asked, "Surely they were proud of you?"

James was silent for a minute, until Fred spoke for him, "James' mum and dad died when he was little, so he lived with his aunt and uncle until he came to Hogwarts," he explained, "Now he lives with Rose and Professor Weasley-"

"-ah, I _thought_ I recognised her!" Lily exclaimed yet again, she seemed oddly confident all of a sudden, especially for a first year, "She's your mum?"

Rose smiled warmly at her, as the gold food platters before them disappeared, and McGonagall raised her hand again for silence. As the hubbub of the great hall began to die down, the enchanted sky above seemed to turn darker, greyer and cloudier than it had been for the rest of the evening. The twinkling stars vanished behind thick cloud, and the almost round moon disappeared into the mist.

"Now that we have all be successfully fed and watered," McGonagall smiled fondly, "I have a brief speech for you all. The way in which young witches and wizards grow is not by listening to those older and wiser than themselves- though I am _not_ condoning rule breaking, Mr. Potter-" she smiled at James, "but we learned by making our own choices, our own decisions, and, through that, becoming people far different than our teachers- and parents- could ever have imagined. Now there's some food for thought. Prefects, please show the younger students back to their common rooms. And I bid you all, a very good night."

* * *

**Hope you LOOVVVEDDD it :) i'm getting back into the writing spirit, so... there may or may not be a new chapter soon-ish, as always, i'm open to SUGGESTIONS... and of course:**

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	30. Chapter 4 : Addo Malum

Chapter 4-

The next morning seemed to arrive faster than James could realise it was coming. The grey light of the horribly cloudy day shone over his four poster bed, and all he could think about was talking to Cygnus about what he, Fred and Rose had discovered on the train the day before. Yet by the time James was dressed and was awake enough to look around the room, there was only one bed without one of his dorm mates in it, and that was the bed beside his. Cygnus had obviously left the dorm early that morning- if he had been in it at all, James had fallen asleep so quickly the night before he couldn't remember Cygnus coming in. His bed looked oddly not slept-in, and his trunk was still propped upright at the foot of the four poster, where James' had been rifled through in search of his pyjamas. James collected his wand from his bedside table, as well as his dad's old invisibility cloak, and the little black stone. Cygnus, Rose and Fred had all told him to hide it so he wouldn't be tempted to use it again, but there was something comforting about knowing he could see his parents in just a turn of the stone.

James slipped the cloak over himself, so as not to be noticed by his sleeping dorm mates, and carefully placed the stone in the pocket of his robes. He crept silently down the stairs into the common room, where the remainder of last night's fire was feebly crackling away. There was a silence in the room, and the large windows were misty and cold looking as the drizzle pattered dismally against the pane. There was a soft sound of slumbering breathing, which he assumed was coming from one of the three cats curled up by the fire. He sat silently on the sofa, and pulled off the invisibility cloak, he reached deep into his pockets and began to examine the stone, as had become habit over the recent summer weeks.

"Ah!" someone had suddenly appeared in the room, "What are you doing with that thing!"

James hurried to shove the stone back in his pocket, before turning around to see Cygnus, wearing his robes from the night before, his hair tousled and his eyes drowsy from sleep, "Oh," James sighed with relief, "Its only you!"

"You said you'd hide that!" Cygnus said, outraged, "You said you'd put it somewhere and never use it again!"

"Well, I lied," James said coolly, "To be honest, its far to special to _hide_, I need to keep it. Don't want it falling into the wrong hands do you?"

"That's why you said you'd hide it!" Cygnus exclaimed.

"Well, I trust myself more than any hiding place," said James proudly, "And anyway, why do you care so much? You can use it to see you dad-"

"-why would I want to do that!" he flared up as suddenly as he had done on the train the day before, "I've got my mum, why would I need-"

"-I never said you did, mate," James reassured him, holding his hands up as though to hold Cygnus back, "But I just wanted you to know the options here if you needed it."

Cygnus seemed to be thinking over what James had said, as though listening to a voice in his head, "Well. Fine. But I don't need your charity in future-"

"-fine, next time you need my help, I won't give it to you," James said, thinking suddenly of their discovery of the identity of Cygnus' grandfather. He decided to steer clear of the subject, and changed his tone quickly, "You didn't actually _sleep_ down here did you?"

"Yeah," he replied, "I didn't really feel like sharing a room with you-"

"-why?" James asked almost too quickly, "What did I do-?"

"-Its not you, okay," said Cygnus, "I just wasn't in a good mood. You wouldn't understand-"

"-then help me understand, Cyg!" said James, "We've been best friends since year 1, you can tell me anything, you know that."

Cygnus stood quietly for a moment, James could hear the sounds of other Gryffindors coming down the stairs for breakfast, so looked urgently at Cygnus, who sighed and stood up again.

"Its not that important," he said after a lot of effort, "I'm being a git, lets go to breakfast-" he turned and began to walk towards the portrait hole.

"-but shouldn't we wait for Fred-?" James started.

"-he's a big boy, he can look after himself," Cygnus grinned wholeheartedly at his friend and continued towards the door.

"True," James replied, following him through the portrait hole. Just as it swung open, a little voice called from behind them.

"James! Wait!" he turned around to see Lily Potter standing behind him. He hoped he wouldn't have to go to breakfast with her, as nice as she was, she was a first year, and a little too confident for his liking.

"Hi Lily," he smiled as warmly as he could under the circumstances, "This is Cygnus Black," he gestured to his friend, "Cygnus, this is Lily Potter-"

"-we've met actually," said Lily quickly.

"When?" James asked, how could the two of them possibly have met? They lived in different cities, and Lily was a muggle.

"Just at a party once, when I was little. Our parents have some friends in common," Cygnus said quickly in a stunted voice, glaring at Lily, he turned back to James, "Breakfast?"

"Yeah sure," said James, "Sorry Lily, I have to go. See you later."

Lily looked slightly offended as James and Cygnus clambered through the portrait hole together, and headed down the stairs to breakfast in silence. In fact, neither said a word until they entered the hubbub of the great hall. The owl post had already arrived, as there were hundreds of brown packages lying on the four house tables, many of them unopened.

"So how _do_ you know Lily?" James asked Cygnus as they sat down beside a third year.

"I told you," said Cygnus, "Our parents are friends-"

"-don't lie to me," said James, looking sternly at his friend, "I know she lives in Kew, and her parents are muggles. You live in Surrey, and your mums a witch-"

"-I'm allowed to know muggles you know, James," said Cygnus.

"Yes, but usually muggles and wizards can't become so close-"

"-and they're not close are they!" Cygnus shouted, "A friend of my dads knew them, and they were at a Christmas party once okay, so drop it!"

"Fine," said James, taken aback by yet another of Cygnus' sudden flare ups, "Just don't get so tetchy in future."

He began to butter a piece of toast as Cygnus opened what was obviously a letter from his mum, as his face looked unhappy and worried as he read it. James looked in front of him to see only his timetable in front of his plate- Ron had obviously forgotten to write already. He picked it up with one hand, still eating his toast with the other, noticing a new addition to the curriculum- a lesson labelled WMRL.

"Hey Cygnus," James looked up at his friend, "You don't know what WMRL is?"

"No clue mate," said Cygnus, picking up his own timetable and looking at it, puzzled, "Maybe some kind of free period-"

"-you really should know that second years don't get free periods," a stern voice said from behind James, as Rose sat down beside him, "And anyway, I spoke to mum this morning, WMRL stands for Wizard-Muggle Relations Lesson."

James fought the urge to ask Rose when she had had time to ask her mum anything in the time between getting up and eating breakfast, so instead asked, "Whats that then?"

"Mums not sure, which is unusual really because she usually know everything," Rose mused, "Anyway, she thinks its to teach us all to learn to tolerate muggles better- I don't see why really, but apparently its some new gimmick that new Professor Snow came up with-" she continued to babble as James looked up at the teachers table where, sure enough, Professor Snow was sitting, looking at the Gryffindor table with the glare of an ice queen. James suddenly realised that not only was she staring at the Gryffindor table, but at him. He glared back at her, and she soon turned her head.

"Rose, d'you remember last night at supper I said Professor Snow looked familiar?" he asked worriedly.

"Yes, you said she looked like the crazy woman from the newsagent's," said Rose absentmindedly, "Why?"

"Don't you see it?"

"Not really," said Rose, "Yes the woman yesterday morning had a similar look about her, but her hair was black, and her face was really different! James, stop trying to make her seem unnecessarily suspicious, she's probably perfectly nice!"

James couldn't help but disagree with her, he knew he'd seen that woman before somewhere. He just couldn't remember where. He looked at his timetable again to see he had Herbology first- a chance to find out a little more about their dubious professor.

They arrived at the greenhouses, having picked up Fred along the way to Herbology. They were with the Hufflepuffs this year, whom they had not shared many lessons with at all. They were lined up out side the greenhouses in their yellow scarves, waiting for Professor Snow to arrive and let them inside the greenhouse, where at least it would be a little warmer than out here. It was still drizzling, and the sky was grey as dishwater above them. It was oddly dark considering the time of day, and James even began to wish he was in the dungeons doing potions with Professor Malfoy- at least then he'd be warm and dry. When Professor Snow finally arrived she looked thoroughly unsuitably dressed for the occasion, with a large furry hat positioned squarely on the top of her shiny black head. James had noticed her curious attraction to interesting head garments last night, as she had sported a large pink fascinator on her head.

"Good morning class," she said in a far more kindly voice than James had expected, "Shall we hurry into the greenhouse before we all catch our _deaths_ of cold!" she giggled happily in a way that was quite unsuitably for a woman of her age, "We'll be working in greenhouse four today!"

The class trudged along behind their fluffy headed teacher towards one of the larger greenhouses on the edge of the plot. It had obviously only recently begun to be used, as the windows were dirty from years of neglect and there were several cracked panes. Professor Snow lead them into the greenhouse, and stood almost too daintily at the front of the class, smiling sickly sweet as Murray Sykes, the last of the Hufflepuffs, closed the glass door behind him.

"Good," Professor Snow announced once everyone had stopped shuffling around between the four long and raised, but empty flowerbeds which lay in greenhouse four, "Today we, and for much of the term, half our team will be working with a lovely little herb named _Addo Malum_, now can anyone tell me what this can be used for-?" Rose's hand shot up before their teacher had even finished speaking, "Yes, Miss. _Weasley_, is it?"

"_Addo Malum_, or the Puppeteer's Herb, can be brewed into a tea or soup, which, if drunk, can entirely alter the subject's personality," Rose recited as though reading from a textbook, "It means if you drink it, you become a new person, with new beliefs and new morals!"

"Very good, Miss. Weasley," Professor Snow said through gritted teeth, "Very good indeed. The other part of our team will be growing the common muggle plant Geranium, which, as many of you know, can create very pretty flowers when given the right care. Now, we will be learning to rear, and nurture these plants- though take note- anyone seen picking the _Addo Malum_ will be out of this school sooner than you can say _atrum secuutus_!"

James was unsure of the meaning of _atrum secuutus_, but he was certain he didn't want to be kicked out of Hogwarts- as nice as it would be to have Malfoy skipping around professing his love for men… He paired up with Rose and they got their gloves on. The class was split in two, with Fred and Cygnus being placed on the Geranium side, and Rose and James on the _Addo Malum _side. Each pair on their side was given three _Addo Malum_ seeds to plant in their on section of the raised beds.

"Something's not right about this," said Rose and she dug a hole in the bed with her trowel, "_Addo Malum_ is a supposedly forbidden plant. You have to apply for special permits to be allowed to grow it- mostly for medicinal reasons. Not only that, but its uncommonly rare! Why on earth would Professor Snow let a bunch of second years loose with their seeds!"

"Maybe she trusts us," said James absentmindedly, though he couldn't help but feel that Snow was hardly the trusting sort.

"Its not that," said Rose, looking quizzically at the other half of the class, who were happily planting their Geraniums, "And why are we growing _Geraniums_ for Merlin's sake!" she suddenly burst out, causing Ginny Cauldwell, who was working next to them, to jump in surprise, "Any herbologist worth their sickles knows that's the 'muggle plant'. It's the iconic non-wizarding species-"

"-maybe she fancied a change," James said again, continuing to dig, only half listening to Rose's rant. To be honest the ravings of his best friend hardly concerned him, he was far to focussed on Professor Snow. He was sure he'd seen her somewhere before, though he couldn't for the life of him remember where. He'd seen her hooded eyelids and shiny hair before, he was sure of it. Though he couldn't for the life of him think where.

_

* * *

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	31. Chapter 5 : WMRLs

Chapter 5-

With Wednesday morning came the final arrival of sunshine to the Hogwart's grounds. After two solid days of rain, storms and cloudy skies, when James opened the curtains of the window in the circular dorm room, the sunlight streamed through the diamond-shaped window panes, waking up the other dorm members. Wednesday morning also brought an even more anticipated event - the first WMRL slot in the timetable. For much of the first day of term, there had been heated debate amongst the students, not only in James' own year, as to what these new Wizard-Muggle Relations Lessons would entail. Marissa Hibbert, a Slytherin in their year, was certain they were going to be learning how to jinx muggles without them noticing, and Alistair Munch, a fifth year Hufflepuff swore he had seen a muggle in Hogwarts, who was going to be teaching the lesson. However, neither of them could have been more wrong. WMRL turned out to be almost as dull as History of Magic.

"Take your seats, take your seats," said a young, surly ministry wizard as the entire second year filed into a classroom on the third floor (James was certain it must have been expanded for the occasion), "Quickly, we don't have much time now! Come on young man, Look alive!" He barked to various late comers who were sitting slowly down on the benches at the back.

Rose had ensure that she, James, Fred and Cygnus had arrived on time. Though Fred was feeling particularly ill after his night's _events_, he had insisted to Madam Pomfrey that he couldn't miss his first WMRL lesson. There was an excited buzz in the room, as the ministry wizard took his place on a podium at the front of the room. He raised his hand, and the noise died away.

"Good morning second years," he said loudly, catching the attention of those still determined to talk, "My name is Mr. Smith, and I will be taking you for your WMRL lessons this year. Through these lessons, we plan to teach you how to sensibly interact with our muggle _friends_. There is high risk in recent times of the muggles becoming aware of our, until this point, secret existence, and when that day comes you, the next generation of wizards and witches, will need to learn how to cope. _These lessons are not to teach you how to gain control or power over muggles_," he said sternly, looking towards the group of Slytherins in which Marissa Hibbert and Malfoy were sitting, "But merely to understand how to cohabit our nation with them. I am willing to take questions."

There were several hands throughout the room which shot up, but fastest of all was Rose's, "Yes, girl in the front with red hair," said Mr. Smith, gesturing to Rose.

She cleared her throat, "Sir, I don't quite understand the need for these lessons," she said innocently in a most un-Rose-like manner, "We've managed to live in secret until this point, what's changed now?"

"Well," Smith paused for a moment, "Well, the muggles are learning to fight off our repelling charms aren't they?" he said haughtily, "They're developing technology that far exceeds our expectations. Next question!" he called quickly, careful not to look at Rose in the eye again.

"That absolute-" Rose stormed out of the room at the end of their lesson, which had, at best, been an _experience_, "He just- ugh!"

"Calm down Rose," Fred said wearily as the four of them headed to the common room for break, "He answered your question didn't he?"

"Yes, Fred," Rose snapped, "But that's not the point!"

"Then please enlighten us Rose," James said sarcastically, "What is the point of you ridiculous rant?"

"He's a ministry wizard!" Rose huffed, James couldn't quite understand why this made her so angry, "Fred back me up! Ministry members of staff are bad news!""I'm not exactly your best back up right now Rose," said Fred, stifling a yawn with his left hand, which was covered in tiny scratches.

"Well, James must have heard the story too!" said Rose, "In mum's fifth year! Professor Umbridge!"

James continued to stare blankly at her. He could certainly remember her name being mentioned, only he couldn't remember where. Usually during Hermione's stories of school he zoned out. He preferred not to hear endless tales of his dad's achievements recited over and over.

"Oh yeah, I remember that," Fred piped up suddenly, "Right old bat, dad said she was. The reason him and Fred left school apparently. You know, to start the joke shop. But I don't see how Smith has _anything_ to do with her-?"

"-Its not that he's like _her_," said Rose, "Its what him being here means."

"And that would be…" said Cygnus.

"It means the ministry is interfering at Hogwarts," said Rose decisively.

"-which is bad… why?" James asked her, he couldn't think of anything wrong with the ministry himself.

"Hogwarts has always been independent. The headmasters and mistresses have always made the decisions," said Rose, "When the ministry gets involved, bad things happen. Can you think of _one_ good reason why we need muggle relations lessons?"

"So we can get to know our muggles familiars better?" Fred said sceptically, looking at James for approval.

"Isn't it _obvious_ what they're doing!" Rose shouted suddenly, surprising a portrait of an old lady on the wall beside her, "Furnunculus!"

"_What_!" James asked.

"The password," said Rose, as the portrait of the fat lady swung open in front of them. The common room was surprisingly empty- probably because the sun was still shining, and most of the students preferred to have their break time outside. The four of them sat by the fire, which was still crackling from when it had been lit early in the morning by one of Hogwart's many house elves.

"So what _does_ it mean?" James asked Rose, as Fred appeared to doze off- he was obviously still tired from the night before.

"I think this is all linked together," said Rose, her voice barely above a whisper, "the newspaper article in the summer- the WMRL lessons… the ministry is planning-"

"-I don't think we can jump to any conclusions from just two little coincidences Rose!" said Cygnus, suddenly sitting up straight and turning very white, "I mean, that's like saying- Professor Snow is a death eater because she's new, and all new Hogwarts teachers turn out to be evil!"

"No its not," said James slowly, looking oddly at Cygnus as colour began to rise to his face again, "Not in any way at all."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with Professor Snow," said Rose, "She seems perfectly nice to me- even if it _is_ a little odd that she's making us grow _Addo Malum_… but still, I never said she did anything wrong."

"I never said you did!" said Cygnus indignantly, "I just said you were being too hasty to dismiss there WMRL lessons, is all!"

"Why are you defending them so much?" Rose asked, eyeing him strangely, "You're usually the first one to dismiss anything new!"

"Well, people change Rose, okay," he said, storming up the steps of the right tower to the boy's dormitories.

"If he was a girl I'd swear it was his-" James started, but when he saw Rose's face he stopped.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Cygnus was more resigned with his friends, and only really seemed to engage with James during a Quidditch practice. As October approached, the lake filled higher with rain, the grass became sodden underfoot, and water was always leaking in through one window or another. One person who was in no way dampened by the weather, however, was Roxanne Weasley. Their first game against Ravenclaw was coming up, so Roxy had the Gryffindor team training harder than ever- especially since their new seeker, Marcus Lough, was not quite up to the mark. Roxy had even tried James at his position, however his performance as a Chaser was so much better, she conceded, and allowed him to return to his original position. In fact, the team had so many training sessions in the foul weather, James was beginning to think he would never be dry again, especially with the frequent outdoor Herbology lessons to add to their plight.

"Did you hear?" Rose said one morning in early October as James and Fred sat down to breakfast- it was waffles today, his favourite. She slapped a newspaper on his plate before James could get to his waffles.

"Whasis?" he asked groggily through a yawn, whist reading the title _The Minister Falls_ through watery eyes, "What does this mean?" he asked a little more coherently.

Rose took the paper back from him and read, "_Today, the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, disappeared in mysterious circumstances from his home in the West Country. The minister's wife said, '_He was in bed when I woke up this morning, then, when I went to get a cup of tea, he disappeared. Just like that! Poof! Gone!_' his family is, of course, distraught, and any news on the whereabouts' of the minister is needed by both them and the wizarding population of Britain. In the meantime, the deputy Minister, Geoffrey Sykes, will step in in his place-"_

James looked over to Murray Sykes, a Hufflepuff in his year, who was beaming happily as he said proudly, 'My dad's the new minister you know!'.

"This is horrible!" said Fred, looking at Rose for support.

"Why? There's nothing wrong with Geoffrey Sykes is there?" James asked him, he didn't like the idea of a crooked minister.

"No," said Rose sadly, "But Kingsley was a close friend of our families, mum'll be devastated about this," she glanced up to where her mother was sitting at the teacher's table, and sure enough, Hermione's eyes were red and puffy- she had obviously been crying. James smiled comfortingly at her, but she seemed not to see him.

"Morning," Cygnus smiled at them all for the first time in weeks, "Lovely day isn't it?"

James looked up at the enchanted ceiling to see nothing but a continuation of the month's drizzle and grey skies, "Not particularly," he replied with a shrug.

"Not in the weather, per se," he grinned, "But you know, in essence!"

"Have you finally gone absolutely barking mad?" Fred asked him.

"No," said Cygnus, "Why would you ask?"

"You seem awfully cheerful all of a sudden, that's all," said Rose, speaking for al of them as she said it, "are you feeling okay?"

"Fine, thank you," said Cygnus.

"Are you sure no ones accidentally given you some _Addo Malum _tea?" James asked his friend, "Because you've treated us like we barely exist until just now!"

"I've had other things on my mind, okay!" Cygnus said defensively, "But they've been cleared-"

"-please don't tell me you've done something-?" Rose started, but was cut off by Cygnus' outraged cry.

"How dare you even suggest I've done something wrong- although…" he looked to James, "I am in need of a good prank- you up to the job Jamesie?"

"I don't have time for this," said Rose, getting up from the table, "You coming Fred?" He stood up too, and the two of them marched indignantly from the great hall.

James smiled at Cygnus- he seemed to be back to his old self again, "I think that's exactly what we both need you absolute git!"

"No need for that Jamesie-James," Cygnus grinned handsomely, and then was silent for a minute, "I'm bored," he huffed, looking around for something to do. His devious eyes seemed to meet on a target, and a smirk spread across his face, "I feel Kenny and Lough are looking a little to pleased with themselves."

James looked to where Amelia Kenny and Miranda Lough were sitting, and sure enough they were both looking immensely smug, James pulled out his wand, but Cygnus stopped him, "This ones on me mate," he smirked, pointed his wand at Amelia, and whispered, "_Crinis Posterno_!" a jet of brilliant pink light shot down the Gryffindor table, before striking Amelia Kenny squarely on the nose. Almost instantaneously, her hair seemed to grow thicker and bushier, expanding from it's usual dark brown curls to gigantic, heavy locks. Her head seemed to droop under the weight of her new tresses, and beneath her also growing eyebrows, her eyes seemed to look murderous.

"Nice one," James grinned, aiming his own wand at Miranda Lough, "_Oculignotus!_" as Amelia continued to grapple with her still expanding hair, Miranda's eyes suddenly snapped shut as though pulled by magnets. You could see a strain on her face as she tried to force them open, but with no success. Hermione seemed finally to have noticed the commotion, as much of the hall had erupted into hysterics, and so she marched down the isle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, looking angrier that James had ever seen her.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!"she bellowed at the top of her voice, and the hall fell silent again, "WHO DID IT?" she fumed, "DON'T BE SHY! OWN UP!"

Proudly, James and Cygnus stood up on the bench, where they were met by rounds of applause from many members of the school, however, Hermione was not one of those applauding. She shook her head disappointedly.

She walked slowly and calmly towards where James was bowing proudly from his bench, "Get down, Potter," she snarled, James grimaced at the use of his last name. Hermione had never called him that before, "You too Black." she looked angrily at Cygnus, "My office, after school Potter. Black, you have detention." She walked from the room shaking her head and James and Cygnus slowly got down from their positions and hurried off to their first lesson.

What had happened that day played on James' mind all through the school day. He could barely concentrate in Defence Against the Dark Arts- his favourite lesson- when they were learning how to avoid Hinkypunks. He avoided Rose as much as he could throughout the day, worried she would have spoken to her mother- he didn't particularly want to be shouted at by two Weasleys in one day. James felt perhaps Hermione was taking out her anger over Kingsley's disappearance on him- after all, all he'd done was curse Miranda Lough, and she deserved it anyway!

At seven o'clock that evening, after lessons had ended, he sauntered through the corridors to Hermione's office, passing the portrait of the two girls he and Cygnus had met on their very first day of Hogwarts. They giggled and smiled at him as he walked past, and he smirked charmingly at them. He had always had that way over people- the ability to win over total strangers. He knocked on Hermione's office door, and waited as he heard her shuffling about inside.

"Come in Potter," he heard her call from behind the door- obviously she was still angry from this morning. He gulped, and turned the door handle, "Take a seat James," she said, her face stony. He did so.

"You know why you're here?"

"I jinxed Lough," he smirked at her. He didn't know why he was being to cheeky- after all, Hermione was practically his mothers- but there was a devious streak in him he didn't want to relinquish just yet, "Got her with the eye-obscuring jinx," he added proudly.

"This is not a matter to be _proud of_ James," she said sternly, "Infact, its not something that should have happened _at all_. Why did you do it?"

"Cygnus said he was bored," said James, and Hermione visibly flinched, "And Kenny and Lough looked _far_ too pleased with themselves-"

"-so you jinxed a fellow student- a fellow _Gryffindor_- simply because your friend said he was bored," Hermione asked sceptically, "You're too like your grandfather for your own good James," she said, but not in the warm way by which she usually spoke of his namesake, instead, her voice was full of disappointment, "When are you going to grow up and realise that you can't just _jinx_ someone because Cygnus is _bored_- just because you _can_! Its irresponsible, its reckless, and to be perfectly honest, I _know_ you know better. And I know you know that you know better too."

James grinned at her again, "What makes you think I know better?" he asked suddenly, "What makes you think that I'm not just like the others think I am- arrogant and irresponsible?"

"Because you're like your father too James," Hermione's eyes filled with warmth again, "and I _know _for a fact that he's the person in you who'll prevail. You just need to learn when to whip out you wand, and when to do nothing-"

"-but that's no fun!" James burst out suddenly, "Whats fun about doing nothing? Whats fun about just sitting in school, doing lessons and handing in homework?"

"Nothing," said Hermione, "Which is why you need to find ways to counteract the boredom- I know Rose has been spending a lot of time on something- help her!"

James grimaced at her, "I take it I've got detention?"

"Of course," Hermione smiled, "You and Cygnus will be clearing out the library store cupboard on Saturday night," she wrote it down on a little white slip, "Good night James."

* * *

**What did you think...? What happened to Kingsley? What's up with Cygnus...? What are the WMRL lessons _really_ for...?**

**I felt we needed some more fun in the story, so i added this last scene to release tension a little :)  
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	32. Chapter 6 : Hogsmeade Again

Chapter 6

Saturday evening arrived with yet another spell of torrential rain. James and Cygnus had quidditch practice all afternoon, and by the time they were sent up to the castle for supper, they were like drowned rats. They dripped their way through the draughty corridors past the painting, who tutted and scorned them as they soaked past, whispering about 'deface the historic paving stones'. Cygnus told a particularly disgruntled painting of a portly, red faced man in an orchard where he could stick his paving stones. James felt this had hardly helped the situation.

"Jubilate," he said to the fat lady, and her portrait swung open to reveal the Gryffindor common room, swelling with the buzz of their fellow Gryffindor's animated discussions. They saw little Lily Potter talking confidently to some prefects, and James thought he heard Fred discoursing loudly with a sixth year about the new goblin rights, which he knew full well his friend knew nothing about.

"Good practice?" Rose asked, bouncing down the stairs holding a book to her chest, and a newspaper under her arm, "Hold this-"

She handed James a book entitled, _Ministry Madness- where our government goes wrong!_, he frowned at it, "What's this Rose?"

"Just some light reading," she replied, taking the book back, and handing him the newspaper. The book certainly didn't look _light_; it must have been at least three inches thick, "But that's not what I wanted to show you. Look at the headline," she pointed to the block capital title on the newspaper she had just handed him.

"_Missing Minister Sighted in Surrey,_" he read, then the tagline, "_Muggle woman reports missing man to police_. They found Kingsley?"

"Not quite," said Rose, "Read the rest of the story."

"_In the late hours of Friday evening, the muggle police received a call from a woman claiming to have seen the missing man Kinsley Shacklebolt walking down Magnolia Crescent in Little Whinging. Petunia Dursley, 54, saw the man walking down the road at around five thirty pm. 'I recognised him immediately,' she said, when _The Prophet_ went to interview her this morning, 'I knew he was one of your lot straight away! I called the police at first to ask them to remove him! Didn't want someone like that around here- it's a nice neighbourhood…._" James stopped, "It was Petunia who found him?"

"You've met her?" Rose asked.

"Only when I had to," James said, "I'm surprised Hermione hadn't told you more about her Rose-"

"-not that she's terribly interesting, mind," Cygnus put in, "I went to her house once, didn't I James? Hardly the nicest of ladies. Told me I looked like a convict- and to get a haircut."

"Charming," Rose said, making a glance towards James. They did not yet know if Cygnus knew about his granddad, and somehow felt this wasn't the moment to inform him. They had wanted to tell him all term, but what with him ignoring him, and all the drama with the muggles, they hadn't felt it was the right time to tell Cygnus he was related to one of the oldest wizarding family's in Britain.

"Don't worry mate, she's like that with everyone," James smiled, "I'm surprised she was willing to give an interview at all- she _hates_ wizards!"

"That much is clear from the interview, _one of your lot_, if you please!" Rose scoffed, "But read the rest of the article James."

He read through it fully now, '_Aurors were quickly sent to the scene in search of Shacklebolt; however he was_ _nowhere to be seen_. _ The ministry's muggle police representative says that there have been no other sightings. One of our reporters caught up with Arabella Figg, a squib who also happens to be a neighbour of the Dursleys. 'Petunia has always been barking mad-" said Figg, " she used to lock her nephew in a cupboard!' Our reporter later discovered that this 'nephew' was none other than Harry Potter, who was killed eleven years ago-_'he stopped reading at this point.

"So they can't find him?" Cygnus, who had been reading over James' shoulder, asked.

"Apparently not," said Rose, "I think your mum's in that paper too Cygnus," she continued, "An article about muggle rights."

"My mum doesn't know anything about anything, Rose," Cygnus said sourly, "Anyone who read any dribble she'd written might as well be burnt at the stake."

James chose not to comment- he knew Cygnus had a tricky time with his mum, and thought it best to leave it alone. He checked the time on his watch- it was nearly eight o'clock. He informed Cygnus that they had to get to their detention soon; they didn't have time to change, so Rose used a quick drying spell on them both, before they sprinted through the portrait hole and towards the library. They arrived in the dusty library two minutes late, and found an angry looking Madam Fowler, who was the temporary library assistant. She seemed much over dressed for a detention, as she was wearing pink frilly dress robes – not terribly becoming for a woman of her age.

"Late, boys," she said in a clipped Welsh accent, "I'll have to inform Professor Granger of this. There's been a change of plan, which makes your lateness all the more unfortunate. I'm busy this evening, so you'll be in the caretaker's office sorting through records for Filch."

The boys groaned. Anything involving Filch was bound to be a nightmare, so the boys dragged their feet along the corridor to the office of the castle's elderly caretaker. They knocked on the door of the little room, and heard Filch's croaky voice from inside.

"Potter! Black! Come in!" They obeyed, and found themselves in a cramped room filled with stacks and stacks of jumbled up files and parchment, balanced precariously atop the stool, desk and window sill, "You're late," he growled at them, baring the few yellow teeth he had left, "if I had it my way you'd be whipped!" He cackled violently, "Fighting in the great hall, in my day you would've been out of Hogwarts faster than you can say Magic!"

James highly doubted that Filch had ever had an hour as a student of Hogwarts, let alone a day, as he, as it was well known, was a Squib. He left it alone, despite wanting to bring this to the caretaker's attention, as he and Cygnus were in enough trouble as it was.

"I want you both to sort out these records," Filch snarled, pointing to the hundreds of stacks of paper, "Hasn't been done for the best part of twenty years! Put them in boxes according to house and date, I'll be back in two hours. Have fun."

He shuffled from the room, followed closely by his cat, Mrs Nesbit, who hissed as the door closed behind her.

"D'you reckon these records have even been _touched_ in twenty years?" Cygnus asked, picking up a particularly old and dusty piece of parchment, he scanned over it, "Hey! Look, this one's quite funny-" he passed the paper to James, who noticed his own name at once, _James Potter_. He thought it odd that his name was on such on old record, before realising this must have been his grandfathers. He read it fully,_ Pupil(s): James Potter, Sirius Black; Rule broken: Hexing the corridor; Punishment given: 3 days detention, cleaning desks; Completion date: 12__th__ October 1972_.

"There's a whole file dedicated to them!" Cygnus called James over to the other side of the room where a large tatty folder was balanced on top of one of the piles, _Black; Sirius, Potter; James, Lupin; Remus, Pettigrew; Peter_. He opened the folder to find not only hundreds of pieces of paper, but also a photo of the four of them, with the words _prime suspects for all crimes_ written on the back.

James studied the photo as carefully as he chose the words he was about to speak, "You know, Cyg, you look just like Sirius Black-"

"-don't, James," Cygnus held up his hand, "Just stop. You don't have to try and be subtle about it. I know he's my granddad."

James was shocked. How could his best friend have known and not told him? He felt betrayed- yet at the same time, relief, at least now he wouldn't feel guilt for keeping it a secret for so long, "How long-?"

"-about six months," he said hazily, "Didn't really seem so significant to me, but- "he stopped himself mid-sentence, "nah, it doesn't really matter!"

"But it's massive!" said James excitedly, "It means you're related to Teddy… and Malfoy… but you're related to me too!"

"I don't think my granddad being your dad's godfather gives us _blood_ relation, mate," Cygnus laughed.

"Not that," said James, "I remember Rose mentioning that _all_ the wizarding families were related somehow- she showed me some snooty family tree-"

"-the Black family tree?" Cygnus asked, "There's a copy in the library, I had a look at it- goes back a long way doesn't it?"

"Longer than most- including Malfoy's," James replied. The two of them sat there for a moment, almost stunned at the conversation they had just had. James picked up another card, read it through and put it down again.

"We should probably sort out these records-" Cygnus started.

"Why bother?" James replied, and Cygnus looked strangely at him.

"What? Its detention, we _have _to do it Jamie!"

"What will our punishment be for not doing detention, Cygnus?" James asked, handing him the card he had just read, _Pupil(s): James Potter, Sirius Black; Rule Broken: Hexing in the great hall; Punishment given: 1 day detention, sorting records for Filch; Completion date: Not completed due to idleness, 20 points from Gryffindor._

"So we don't do detention, and we only lose 20 points!" he laughed, "Fancy a stroll Jamie?"

* * *

"Why?" Rose sighed when James first saw her the next morning, they were passing the giant hourglasses in which the house points were counted, and Gryffindor's looked significantly lighter than it had done the previous evening.

"Why what?"

"We seem to have lost over a hundred points overnight!" she exclaimed, "I bet this has something to do with those first years, oh-!"

James and Cygnus looked shiftily towards each other, and instantly burst out laughing, "I think you'll find out why if you look under our beds Rosie," James grinned at her widely.

"-what did you do?" Rose asked worriedly.

"We skipped detention-" Cygnus started.

"-and went to Hogsmeade-" James continued

"-where we snuck into the Three Broomsticks-"

"-under my cloak-"

"-and convinced an dithering old man to buy us-"

"-three cases of Butterbeer!" James finished triumphantly.

"Only problem was," Cygnus added, "Madam Fowler was in the Three Broomsticks on some kind of _date_," he laughed, "turns out, she was on the date _with_ the old man, who told her he'd seen us."

"She went straight up to the castle, told McGonagall, who caught us as we were going into Gryffindor tower," said James, "She let us keep the Butterbeer, but took 50 points _each_ from us for sneaking into Hogsmeade."

"Old bat," said Cygnus.

"I think it was decent of her not to _expel_ you both!" Rose exclaimed, "And how could you sneak off at night anyway? Are you two really _that_ selfish?"

"What do you mean?"

"It was Fred's _night_," Rose whispered, "They let him out now he knows the grounds better- of course he's harmless, but if you'd been seen in the grounds-?"

"What?" Cygnus asked, "They'd think we were helping out one of our best friends?"

"Exactly!" said Rose, "If any parents got wind that students could go into the grounds while a _you-know-what_ was around, Fred would be kicked out!"

"Would not," James said stubbornly, but he knew deep down she was right.

"I just feel so sorry for him, out there all on his own," said Cygnus, "I wish we could help him, you know?"

"Well we can't, Cygnus," said Rose, "Even if he's still in his right mind, if he were to accidentally bite one of you… well, it doesn't bare thinking about, and Fred would never forgive himself."

She stormed off up towards Gryffindor tower, still muttering under her breath. James looked guiltily towards Cygnus, and between them they decided to go and visit Fred in the hospital wing. When they arrived, they were met by a look of utter disapproval from Madam Pomfrey, who had obviously heard what the two of them had done last night already.

"Foolish boys," she tutted, but allowed them through to visit their friend all the same. Fred was lying in a bed behind a white screen, so the other invalids- a first year with a broken arm, and a sixth year who looked like he had been hit with a nasty stinging hex- could not see him.

"Morning sunshine," James said, plonking himself on the end of Fred's bed, while Cygnus sat on the chair nearby, wincing slightly at the sight of Fred's scratches and bruises. Fred smiled weakly at them, sitting himself up in bed and taking a sip of water gingerly.

"I thought you were supposed to be harmless?" James asked him.

"Not entirely," Fred grinned wearily, "I might be in my right mind, but when let loose in a forest, what else is a wolf to do?" He gave a hollow laugh.

"Maybe that wolf should be careful, and try not to hurt themselves while rampaging through the forest at midnight?" Cygnus proposed.

"Where's the fun in that?" Fred grinned slightly more wholly this time.

"Well at least it means you don't get torn to pieces, Freddie," James agreed.

"I just wish you guys could come with me," Fred said flatly, "its surprisingly dull being on your own- and before you say anything, I know you can't," he added, seeing James' hasty jumpy expression, "I know better than anyone the dangers of being around someone like me."

"I just want you to be cured," James grimaced, "I hate having to visit you in here, really puts a dampener on my weekend, you know?"

"Why don't we cheer things up then," Cygnus smiled, reaching into his cloak and pulling out three bottle of Butterbeer. James wondered how on earth he had managed to fit them in there, but chose not to comment for fear of being denied the privilege of having one.

"Wicked!" Fred exclaimed, "How'd you get these? Did you mum send them?"

"Not exactly…" James began, and together they launched back into the story of the previous night.

* * *

**Sorry for the ridiculously long update time! I've been seriously busy with school recently, soo... I hope you love it :) sorry its a bit short, but its for effect more than anything!**

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	33. Chapter 7 : The WDP

Chapter 7-

The day before the much awaited Hogwarts Halloween feast, James and Cygnus found themselves once more in detention. Unfortunately, Hermione had found out about their excursion to Hogsmeade several weeks previously, and had taken the decision that Professor McGonagall has been far too lenient with two such persistent trouble makers. She had subsequently rewarded them with three Sundays detention. They had been continuing to sort out the detention records from the previous four decades, which had far from knocked them into shape, in fact their appetite for trouble making had been heightened in recent weeks what with all the inspiration they had been given.

The _Addo Malum _which they had been growing with Professor Snow in Herbology had already reached maturity, due to the care and attention which the second years had paid their plants. They had been, and were continuing to, harvest them in the weeks leading up to Halloween, which had caused Rose to make multiple trips to the library.

"I simply cannot believe that's the can be an innocent reason to be growing _Addo Malum_," she said for the third time that evening, she was still in the common room with an old potions book on her lap when the boys returned to their detention, beside her were two cups of cold tea, "Fred and Lily were helping me," she explained, "but they called it a night about an hour ago."

James checked his watch, it was half past midnight, and he distinctly felt that Rose should probably do the same, "You're not still looking up that _Addo Malum_ stuff are you Rosie?" he sighed.

"As a matter of fact I am James," she said in a clipped voice, "I spoke to mum about it, and she agrees with me. There isn't a real reason to be growing that nasty stuff other than to make the tea! She's planning on using it! I know it!"

James looked over to Cygnus, he wasn't sure whether his doubt of Rose was merely caused by his anger at Hermione at the moment, "Or _maybe_ Rose, she's a teacher who's a little strapped for galleons, and wants to sell a very expensive herb so she can buy a house-"

"-now that you mention that," Rose said, her tone significantly brighter, "Mum and Dad have bought themselves a new house!"

"What!" James cried, why would the Weasley's need a new house? Their one in Kew was magnificent, not to mention that there would be no reason for them to move whatsoever, as three members of their family lived at Hogwarts for a substantial portion of the year.

"Yeah, mum told me today, while you were both in detention," she added, "dad moved there today with all our things!"

James couldn't understand the reason for such a sudden move. Not to mention buying a house and moving in the same day. It didn't seem quite right, "Where is this new house?" he asked.

"In Somerset," Rose said proudly, "About forty minutes from Bristol apparently- that's where Hagrid grew up you know," she added.

"We'd better get to bed," Cygnus perked up suddenly, noticing James' anxiety, "Come on Potter."

* * *

On Monday morning Cygnus' good mood of recent weeks seemed to have disintegrated once more, which was a stark contrast to the rest of the house, who were in much elated spirits due to the feast that evening. There were huge pumpkins the size of wagon wheels floating mysteriously above the tables, obscuring almost entirely the enchanted ceiling above, and several very confused looking bats were fluttering half-heartedly around their heads. Cygnus' head was fallen in a look of anger and confusion. James had seen him like this before, and knew it was best to leave him to sulk. Their first lesson of the morning was an unscheduled WMRL lesson, which had been called due to 'disturbances in the muggle community'.

"Now," said Mr Smith, once everyone had settled into the classroom, "Can anyone tell me what a general election is?"

Rose instantly put her hand up.

"Yes Miss Weasley?"

"It is a national election, when muggle candidates are chosen in all areas, which are known as _constituencies_. Whichever political party gets the majority of candidates, or _seats_, wins the election!"

"A perfect dictionary definition, Miss Weasley!" Mr Smith said with a faint hint of malice in his voice, "Can anyone tell me why this is significant at the moment?"

Much to everyone's surprise, Cygnus raised his hand, "Because there are rumours that an election will be called next week, sir," he said.

"Yes, very good, very good, Mr Black," said Smith, "This is not unusual in the muggle world, especially when a coalition government, which we learnt about last week class," he added, "has been in power for such a long time. What is unusual is the abruptness of Prime Minister Cameron's decision," he continued, "the muggle government has seemed tight in recent months it would seem, but since the disappearance on Kingsley Shacklebolt, there seems to have been a disturbance in Downing Street. Especially with the recent rise of the WDP, this election could be anyone's game."

A girl in Hufflepuff raised her hand at the back, "What is the WDP?" she asked.

"It stands for the Welcoming Diversity Party," Smith explained, "They believe that racial and social divides in Great Britain have been becoming too large in recent years. Why is this significant to our lessons, class?"

"Because we believe that the gap between Wizards and Muggles has become too great," Rose chanted sarcastically the line they had been forced to learn for homework last week, "What a load of rubbish!" she shouted, "The divide between Wizards and Muggles has always been great! That's why we have the Statute of Secrecy! Otherwise the Muggles would be persecuting us as they have done in the past!"

"Detention, Miss Weasley!" Smith burst out suddenly, then continued in a harsh whisper, "The muggles are our friends," he said, as though in some kind of trance, "they're not out to get us. The only reason they persecuted us was because they didn't _understand_ us. We'll do it properly this time…" he said, almost to himself, then in a flash, his face went blank, "Class dismissed."

James looked to Fred and Cygnus, who he was sitting next to, he wasn't sure whether or not they should leave, as there was still another hour of their WMRL left. He noticed Malfoy and Riddle leaving from the back of the classroom, so he followed after them, with Cygnus trailing behind him. Fred waited behind to console Rose, who had nearly fainted at the news of receiving a detention. James followed Malfoy and Riddle intently, he was sure they were both heading to the same place- the Owlery. He needed answers, and though he didn't know who to get them from, he was sure he and Cygnus would figure it out on the cold walk to where he kept his owl, Luna. Malfoy was whispering harshly under his breath to Riddle, who looked much taller and older than when James had last seen him. Of course he still wasn't a touch on James' great height, but he was fast catching up. His hair was almost as dark as James' too, and his eyes a bright shade of blue. He was beginning to look more his own person, rather than merely one of Malfoy's cronies, who he now overshadowed.

"Potter!" Malfoy spun around suddenly on the spot, drawing his wand on James and Cygnus, "Black! Following me are you?"

"We just came from the same lesson, _Malfoy_," Cygnus sneered in a voice quite unlike his own, "And we're both going to the Owlery-" James noted how Cygnus knew where they were going without having spoken a word, "-so climb out of your own arse and-"

"What did you just tell me to do Black?" Malfoy asked, "Coming from you. Ever since your filthy mother discovered her roots she's been fawning over father like a lost puppy dog- talk about up one's own arse." Riddle laughed accordingly.

"What's he talking about Cygnus?" James asked, withdrawing his own wand from the pocket of his robes. The corridor outside the Astronomy tower was completely empty still – all the other students were in lessons.

"No idea mate," Cygnus replied, looking towards James with a convincing look of confusion, "Look Malfoy, I've got no idea what you're on about, but we both need answers so if you'll just let us get to the Owlery-"

"-_you_ don't need answers from the Owlery Black!" Riddle shouted suddenly, "You've already got all your bloody answers. You know full well what's going on here and don't even try to deny it!"

Cygnus looked innocently towards James, but this time he didn't buy it. He couldn't lose face in front of the Slytherin's, however, so chose to laugh it off, "Come on Cyg," he said half-heartedly, "Let's go write that letter to Ron…"

Cygnus followed after him, his face towards the ground. They continued on in silence, down the many flights of stairs, past hundreds upon hundreds of portraits, each of which with a new reason why they shouldn't be wandering the corridors in lesson time. They soon found themselves in the cold and bitter October wind, and heading up one last set of stairs to the Owlery.

"What exactly was Riddle on about Cygnus?" James asked once they had found Luna. Cygnus mumbled something incoherently, "What, sorry?"

"My mum joined the WDP," he replied suddenly.

"I thought it was for muggles?" James asked, staring at his best friend, "It's a party for the muggle election!"

"Yeah," Cygnus sighed, sitting on one of the dropping-covered benches, "In theory it is. But in practice it's something much worse."

"I don't understand?" James said.

"Remember that article the muggle wrote in the summer Jamie?" Cygnus started, "Well, mum read it- you should have seen when she did, ecstatic she was- see, she has a bit of a sore spot when it comes to wizards being in hiding. She found out about Sirius a few days later and well, it was all just coming together for her. She was so angry when he left. Gran gave up pretty much everything for him- her family, her career… and well, then he left, and she had nothing but mum left. Of course she couldn't go back to her family- not with a little witch for a daughter, they were bound to find out sometime weren't they? So she brought up mum alone, practically alienated from the muggle world, but not part of the wizarding one either. Then mum grew up, married dad, and it seemed like we were a proper family again, but then he died, and mum's niggle came back. She'd got it into her head that if the Statute of secrecy didn't exist, her dad would never have left."

"So what?" James asked, he still didn't understand.

"We got a knock at the door a few days after the article- it was a woman wearing a long black cloak, claimed to be a friend of mum's," he continued, "So I let her in. Turned out to be Professor Snow!"

"What?" James shouted, "You knew her before, why didn't you say something?"

"I'm getting to that bit," Cygnus explained, "She said she was part of an underground group planning to out the wizarding world by a series of clever plots- the first of which had failed, they confounded that muggle man into following you guys to the burrow- and it couldn't have come at a better time for mum. She joined straight up and, well, the rest is history-"

"I don't see what this has to do with the government though-" James started, and then it dawned on him, "- they set up the WDP didn't they?"

"Yeah, and it doesn't stand for _'Welcoming Diversity'_ either," said Cygnus, "It's the _Wizard Dominance Party_. Sykes is in on it too, mum was the one who convinced him to become minister-"

"-they didn't _kidnap _Kingsley did they?" James asked worriedly.

"I dunno," Cygnus replied, "I've stopped asking mum about it so much recently- after-" he stopped mid-sentence.

"After what Cyg?" James asked, but Cygnus remained silent, "After what!"

"She said I'm not allowed to be friends with you anymore," said Cygnus, "I tried at first, but you're my best mate- I just couldn't do it."

James thought for a moment, "Rose is right about the _Addo Malum_ isn't she?" he said, "Snow wants to make the tea with it."

"I reckon she already has," Cygnus replied, "Why else would Cameron have stepped down so suddenly? A sudden change of personality-"

"-we have to tell someone Cyg!" James shouted, "We can't just _leave _it!"

"Who would believe us?" Cygnus asked, "It was fine last year when we had proof, but now, it's just our word against theirs."

"Is that everything you know?" James asked, this sudden influx of knowledge had left him hungry for more. There was a look on Cygnus' face as if to say there were, but he said nothing except,

"We should get going James, Transfiguration starts in ten minutes."

Luna, James' owl, looked unhappy about the fact that she had not been needed after all, and went to sit on the highest perch in the Owlery. James was sure he'd be getting owl droppings in his post the next morning.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN... Sorry for another short chapter guys, but I hope you will have found it sufficiently detailed :)**

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	34. Chapter 8 : The Golden Snitch

Chapter 8

"-then tap your goblet three times," said Hermione, during their next Transfiguration lesson. She looked particularly happy that morning, especially as she was wearing her favourite purple robes, "and tada!" The white goblet which had been sitting on the table in front of her had suddenly become a tiny golden toad, "Get going! And remember the incantation-"

"_Rutilusres_" James chimed in along with the rest of the class. Though he was good at Transfiguration, he couldn't help but hate his lessons recently. Not only was he angry with Hermione for giving him and Cygnus detention, but also for having not even told him that they were moving house. He noticed that though the lesson had been going on for fifteen minutes already, not once had she even mentioned that she might need to inform him of something. Of course she had told _Rose_ that they were moving. Rose was her _daughter_, of course she would find out. Despite having been welcomed into the Weasley family so warmly last summer, James couldn't help but feel that since then he had become more like an unwanted house guest than a real part of the family.

Most of the class had already begun to transfigure their goblets. Rose's goblet was issuing a high pitched buzzing sound, and Fred had managed to melt the red crystal on the rim of his. Cygnus, who was sitting beside James, hadn't even begun to transfigure his goblet. James took his wand from his pocket, tapped his goblet lazily, and said, "_Rutilusres_." Instantly his goblet became the tiny golden frog. Hermione didn't seem to notice, Rose on the other hand did.

"How did you do that?" she asked angrily as her goblet wailed away, "I've done exactly what mum said and it's not working."

"It's all in the incantation," James explained, taking his wand out once more.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, "I'm saying it perfectly!"

"You say _Rutilus-ress_," James explained, "Its _Rutilus-rays_."

Rose spoke as James had told her to, and instantly her goblet turned too into a frog. Hermione looked up from stopping Amelia Kenny's goblet from flaming, "Very well done Rose!" she exclaimed, "First in the class, 10 points to Gryffindor."

James scowled at her as Rose beamed with pride. Ten minutes later, when then were walking to Potions; James was still in a foul mood. Rose could have told Hermione that it was James who had been first in the class. She could have not accepted the credit, but she had sat there and done nothing. As they took their usual seats in class, James decided to voice this opinion.

"You could have told your mum, you know," he said angrily.

"Told her what?" Rose asked, she was gazing distantly to the other side of the room.

"That it was me who did the transfiguration first?"

"Oh, that," Rose said, looking at James in the face now, "Well, Gryffindor was going to get the points anyway, so I assumed you wouldn't care. You don't usually want the credit."

"It wasn't about the points, Rosie," said James grumpily, taking his brass scales from his school bag. The two of them sat in silence for a moment. Cygnus looked worriedly towards James from the table opposite as Fred cleaned the scorch marks from his face where his goblet had eventually caught fire.

"You could have told me James," Rose suddenly snapped.

"Told you _what_ Rose?" he hissed, as Professor Malfoy had entered the room.

"You know perfectly well what." She hissed back before turning away from him angrily and turning her textbook to page 237 as instructed by their teacher. James was happy not to have potions with the Slytherins this year, instead they had them with the Hufflepuffs, which not only made him feel better about his ever dwindling potions skills, but also meant that for the first time, Gryffindor was preferred in a potions lesson, as Professor Malfoy had a supreme hatred for Hufflepuffs. Once, Ellie Cadwallader confused Wormroot with Powdered Troll-Nails, and her potion turned green rather than purple. Malfoy had deducted 50 points from Hufflepuff for the offence.

Today they were working on the _Poculum_ _Deluso_ potion, according to the book, it was intended to outwit _'he should wish to poison or harm you'_. Basically, James thought, it was a glorified antidote. It was said to have _'mysterious properties'_ which _'enhanced the mind and body of the drinker after consumption'_. He couldn't help but think of the muggle energy drink Red Bull at this. He glanced over to Cygnus, who was chuckling away to himself- probably thinking the same thing. The two of them worked through their individual potions, which they both found easy. It seemed that Fred, along with the rest of the class, was struggling with this particularly fiendish potion. Rose, and Daisy Jones, seemed to be the only other Gryffindor's to not be covered in thick black dust by the end of the lesson.

* * *

"I just don't get Rose," James said to Fred and Cygnus at lunch, "She just constantly snaps at me. I've done nothing wrong!"

"Well you sort of have, mate," said Fred. James and Cygnus both stared at him, but Fred just turned a distinct shade of beetroot and looked down at his plate of sausages.

"What have I done?" he asked quietly, suppressing his internal anger at both of his cousins.

"Well…. Have you told her yet?" Fred asked timidly. And then it dawned on James and Cygnus at the same time. They had told Fred that evening in their dormitory after Lysander and Kerry had fallen asleep, but it had been almost two days now and they had failed to tell Rose.

"How does she know that there's even anything to tell!" Cygnus asked, looking towards Fred, whose face was almost purple now, "You didn't!"

"I had to!" Fred said fiercely, "She pressured it out of me, I'm sorry!"

Cygnus scoffed, but James looked at Fred sympathetically, "Well she was going to find out anyway wasn't she? I just wish we could have fully explained it to her!"

That was a lie, as it hadn't even crossed James' mind that Rose would need to know. Now that he thought about it, he could only think of her wanting to tell her mum, or some other teacher, who would be bound to tell them just to leave it and move on. It was just based on the words of a little boy who was angry with his mum, and Rose, being Rose, would obey them and get the others to give up on it too. James wasn't about to let that happen. He wasn't about to let wizards take over the muggle government. If only they could persuade Rose not to tell she would be a massive help to their whole plan- not that they had a plan yet.

After lunch, the Gryffindor's had History of Magic, but unfortunately (only for some), Professor Binns had come down with a serious case of Ghost Gout. This meant that instead the 2nd years had a free afternoon to catch up on their homework. Of course no one but Rose was actually planning on doing any work.

"You really should be trying to write that essay for Snow," said Rose, "She wants it by tomorrow morning James!"

James laughed and said, "I'll start to write essays when they count towards something, Rose. We all know that Snow just composts the parchment the second we hand in our essays."

Rose scowled at him and turned back to her books looking almost as though she was going to cry- not as if James, or the other two boys, noticed.

"I feel like an adventure," said Cygnus, "I'm bored."

"Me too," said Fred, the two of them looked towards James for approval. He sudden got the impression that he was almost their leader. They needed to ask him first before they did anything. A smug grin appeared on his face as his ruffled up his hair so that it stuck up on end, displaying clearly the scar on his forehead. He pushed his glasses up and stood up confidently.

"Let's go then!" he said dramatically, pointing towards the portrait hole, "Sure you don't want to join us Rosie?" Rose ignored him entirely, "Suit Yourself," James said, and lead the others out into the corridor.

They ran through the corridors like headless chickens, with no idea of what to do. They chatted to portraits of young girls, fired jinxes at passing ghosts from behind tapestry's, just to see what would happen. They visited the kitchens and got three flasks full of pumpkin juice from the house elves, who were especially keen to help Cygnus. As they ran through the corridor on the seventh floor, James could have sworn they had passed the same portrait of Barnabas the Barmy at least twice. As the turned around a corner and ran back the same way they had just come, passing the portrait for a third time, James thought of how good it would be if they had something to do, and something very odd happened. Fred seemed to stop still in front of what seemed to be a blank stone wall.

"Fred?" Cygnus called, he was standing just beyond Fred, "Come on mate!"

But Fred remained still, staring intently at something. James strained to see what it was, until there it was, a tiny hole in the middle of the wall. As he stared at it, the hole seemed to expand faster and faster, until James realised that it wasn't just a hole, but it was in fact a very old wooden door.

"How are you doing this Fred?" James asked, Fred looked around at him.

"Doing what James," he asked, "I thought it was you?"

They both looked at Cygnus, who just shrugged confusedly back at them. The door had now reached the floor, and was large enough for them to get through. James pushed in front of Fred and turned the metal handle. The door opened at once, and the three of them found themselves in what looked like a massive self-storage unit, like the one James had been to with his Uncle when he was little. There were rows upon rows of clutter, they reached the towering ceilings and were all thick in dust. None of them said anything, but set off in three different directions, exploring the walls of stuff. James saw what looked like three dead heads in a jar, and moved on quickly. There were several Frisbees flying in the air above his head, and James even spotted a golden snitch not too far above his head. He reached out a grabbed it. The wings instantly closed shut and it sat quite still in his palm. James knew that snitches had a touch memory, and only stopped moving for the first person ever to touch them, so that they could work out who had won in particularly tight Quidditch matches. He also knew for a fact that he had never caught a snitch, so why this one had closed for him, he was unsure. He suddenly heard a shriek from somewhere nearby and jumped so high that he almost dropped his prize. He tucked the snitch safely in his pocket before calling out, "FRED! CYGNUS!"

"James!" they both called back at the same time, "Was that you!" Cygnus continued.

"No!" he shouted back, "I thought it was one of you!"

"Where are you!" Cygnus shouted.

James looked around, and saw a broken grand piano precariously placed on the top of a pile in front of him; "I'm near the grand piano!" he called back. He heard a clanging noise, followed by a string of curse words, which came from Cygnus's mouth; before he saw the two boys appear over the top of the pile in front of him. At first he thought that they were flying independently, before he saw two very old looking broomsticks which they were riding. Cygnus was also carrying a third for James.

"Catch," he said, chucking the broom down at his friend. James hopped onto it and joined his friends above the mountains of clutter, "We found these over there," he pointed towards a pile of stuff that looked as though it had been set on fire, as it was black and crumbling in places.

"So that wasn't you who shrieked?" James asked them.

"Nope, we assumed it was you, mate," said Fred, "You don't think there's someone else in here do you?"

"Could be," said Cygnus, "I mean it's obvious that other people have been to this place before to dump all this crap, so there could be someone in here right now."

They scouted around, but could see no one beneath the clutter. Just as they had given up, they heard the door creak open, and spun around to look at it, just in time to see the corner of some deep purple robes. James knew exactly who it was. But why was she in this room full of hidden things? He tensed his hand over the snitch in his pocket as he had done so often with the Resurrection stone in the previous year.

"Should we follow them?" Cygnus asked, seeming to not have noticed who it was.

"No," said James, "Let's keep exploring, I bet there's so properly cool stuff in here somewhere!"

* * *

They arrived back in the Gryffindor common room an hour before supper, their arms laden with pieces of treasure. James had had some hesitations in taking the things, but as Cygnus had pointed out, most of it looked as though it had been long since forgotten. James had still resigned to taking only the golden snitch, intrigued by the fact that a snitch he had never touched remembered him. He hadn't told either of the others about it, not that they had noticed, being too preoccupied with their own plunder. Cygnus had taken a non-moving portrait of a surly looking French wizard with a curly moustache, and a badge he had found which flickered half-heartedly between saying _"__Support Cedric Diggory, the_real_Hogwarts champion!_" and "_Potter Stinks_", he had found this particularly entertaining. Fred on the other hand had found an the old packaging to a Skiving-Snack box, one of his father and his namesake's first inventions, which he had placed proudly on his bedside table alongside an old brass Sneakoscope and an instrument, which ticked melodically as its various parts spun around, on his bedside table. James kept the snitch in his pocket, as he knew who he could get answers from. He delved into his trunk and found the small stone he had sworn never to use again, and placed it alongside the snitch in his pocket. He would use it after supper.

When they arrived at the great hall that evening, they found Rose sitting with Daisy Jones and Amelia Kenny, two most unlikely companions. She was giggling in a most un-Rose-like manner. The three boys sat down next to her, and James ended up next Daisy, a girl for whom he had a strong dislike. Last year she and her friends had not only managed to insult Rose, but also made fun of James for being an orphan, although temporarily redeeming herself during a quidditch match last term, she had since become more annoying to him than Lily Potter in first year. The idea that Rose was now sitting happily, talking to the two girls as though nothing was wrong was quite frankly astonishing to him, but he was too angry with Rose to say anything, so, with much regret, chose to speak to Daisy instead.

"So, Jones," he said in his most pompous voice, "Saw you were about the only one not to blow up your cauldron in potions today-"

"-nor did you Potter," Daisy replied snidely, "So if you're trying to compliment me, forget it."

"Actually I was trying to strike up a nice conversation to break the extreme sexual tension between us," he joked.

"You're twelve, Potter," said Daisy, "Stop acting like you're in fifth year and leave me alone."

"Do you have any idea why your lovely friend is so rude to me, Rose?" James asked, he knew he was putting her in a difficult position, as knowing Rose she would be desperate to dissociate herself from Jones and Kenny. But much to his surprise she merely glowered at him.

"I've got a hunch," said Rose, and instantly Daisy and Amelia fell about laughing.

* * *

Later in the dormitory, James asked Fred and Cygnus why the three girls were suddenly so chummy.

"Well," said Fred, through a mouthful of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, "I think they share a common belief."

"What's that then?" Cygnus asked, delving his hand into Fred's packet of sweets. Fred glowered at him.

"They all think that James is the most arrogant prat that they've ever met," Fred chuckled to himself, as James scowled at him.

"I'm not arrogant!" he defended, as Cygnus raised his eyebrows and Fred laughed even harder, "Come on! I'm not arrogant!"

"You are the tiniest bit conceited, mate," said Cygnus, "But you always have been, it's just one of your many character traits… you know, like a quick wit and good Quidditch skills. Its why we love you-"

"-I'm enjoying how you're not denying being a prat," said Fred through stifled laughs.

"Whatever," James said, getting up and delving his hand once more into his robe pocket, both the stone and the snitch were still there, "I'm going to the bathrooms."

"Come on, mate!" said Cygnus, "We didn't mean it! It was a joke!"

But James had already left the room. He didn't even really care about the arrogant thing, he always knew he was cocky, he just never thought of it as a bad thing. He made his way through the deserted corridors of the castle until he found the same place he had used last time, the deserted girl's bathroom. He just hoped that annoying Moaning Myrtle was gone. He checked around to ensure the bathroom truly was deserted, which it was. He took the stone out, and turned it three times in his hand. Suddenly, there were two figures standing in front of him. They weren't as solid as he was himself, nor were they as transparent as Myrtle had been.

"Why is it that you always bring us here," moaned his father, who looked both angry and happy to see him.

"I thought we told you to hide that stone," said his mother, pointing at the black stone in his hand.

"I did," James replied, "But I just had a question- it seems silly now, but-"

"-I don't think this is really about the silly question, James," said his father, looking into his eyes. James was now only several inches shorter than his father, and Harry seemed to have noticed this, "You've obviously inherited at least one Weasley gene," he smiled as he looked James up and down, "Now what was that question?"

"I was in this- this room earlier," he suddenly felt nervous, "It was full of stuff-"

"-the Room of Requirement!" Harry burst out, "I thought it burned down!"

"It looks as though it nearly did," James replied, remembering the pile of blacked stuff, "But while I was there, I found a snitch floating in the air, and I caught it and-"

"-the wings stopped moving when you touched it?" Ginny asked, looking at the closed snitch in his sweaty palm, "You don't play seeker do you?"

"No," he replied, "But I know about the memory thing and-"

"-and you were wondering why it seemed to remember you, despite having never touched a snitch before in your life?" Harry smiled, "Can I have a look?"

James handed his father the snitch, not expecting him to be able to hold it, but he took it in his hand quite comfortably, and Harry's grin broadened as he examined it.

"It's not the same one is it Harry?" Ginny asked worriedly.

"Not the one Dumbledore gave me, no," said Harry, "But I certainly know who this snitch belonged to."

"Who?" James and his mother asked at the same time.

"My father," Harry smiled, showing James the tiny inscription on the snitch reading _J.P – L.E_. "I heard the story behind this snitch a long time ago. My dad loved it, he'd nicked it from the Quidditch stores the summer of his fifth year, he'd wanted it as a souvenir. He was a chaser for Quidditch too, but one game, he caught the snitch by accident- it got tangled up with the Quaffle. Though he hadn't technically won the game, the snitch still remembered his touch, so he kept it for a long time. In his seventh year, he got it inscribed and gave it to my mum when they first started going out, but she lost it- it must have ended up in the Room of Requirement-"

"-but then why does it open and close for me?" James asked.

"Ah," said Ginny, "Now I can answer that! There was a story I heard once of father and son Quidditch players, who played for different teams, both as seekers. In one game there was a contested victory, but the snitch opened for both seekers- why? Because their touched was the same. They were related, and as clever as snitches are, they cannot tell the difference between family members who are so similar."

"So the snitch thinks I'm my granddad?" James asked.

"Pretty much," Ginny smiled, "Was that all."

James suddenly felt very embarrassed, he had brought them all this way for such a pointless thing. But he somehow felt that the snitch had not been the real reason he wanted to see his parents. As he said goodbye to them, he realised truly how much he missed having parents. He walked much more slowly back to the Gryffindor Tower, throwing the snitch in the air, letting it flutter away, before catching it again. When he got back to the dormitory, Cygnus was still up. James set the snitch down on his bedside table, but this time it did not flutter away, but sat quite still.

"We're both really sorry Jamie" Cygnus said, "We didn't mean it."

"It doesn't matter Cyg," said James happily, suddenly aware of just how much family he had running through him.

* * *

**Hope you liked this chapter, I certainly loved writing it! Sorry for the long update, but I decided to steer away from the story line for a little bit, because it was moving a bit to fast...**

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	35. Chapter 9 : Kreacher's Mistress

Chapter 9

Two days had passed since James' meeting with his parents, and his grandfather's snitch had not left his hands. He had told Cygnus the story behind it, claiming to have asked Hermione, despite having not spoken to her since their last Transfiguration lesson. Nor had he spoken to Rose, who was chummy as ever with Amelia and Daisy. James still couldn't understand why, or how, but in Herbology that morning she looked blissfully happy giggling along with the two of them. Their _Addo Malum_ crop had now been harvested, and the plants themselves disposed of. James had a hunch that Professor was destroying the evidence. They were now moving on to Herbology theory. They were working in Greenhouse 5, a place where second years usually weren't allowed. Instead of the usual rows of raised beds, instead there were three neat rows of desks and chairs, with a blackboard at the front of the room. Snow had written _Herbology Theory for Beginners_ in neat curly writing on the board, and as James sat down between Fred and Cygnus, he suddenly felt anger with his teacher boiling up inside him. This was his first Herbology lesson since finding out about the WDP, and he had managed to contain his anger with Snow until now, but being taught by her seemed to have allowed it to boil to the surface.

"How could you stand her teaching you?" he whispered to Cygnus out of the corner of his mouth, while they were supposed to be writing about the five categories of magical herbs and fungi from their textbook.

"What d'you mean?" Cygnus asked him, leafing through the pages in his book.

"Knowing all the time that she was planning- _you know what_," he whispered, "How did you not shout at her! You defended her on her first day!"

"I know I did Jamie, but you have to remember that back then I still thought her plans were a good idea. I was still on mum's side- mum still thinks I am, by the way, she can't accept it. But anyway, I'm not such a _passionate_ person as you," he grinned at James.

"You're not as arrogant either," Fred slipped in from James' other side, obviously overhearing their conversation, "and I'm with you Potter," he grinned, "either of you fancy luring her into the forest next full moon… for purely for academic reasons of course."

"If it's considered academic to maul your Herbology teacher, that is," James laughed.

"Who's planning to maul the Herbology teacher?" a girl's voice asked, and for a moment James thought it was Professor Snow herself. He turned around and realised it was Rose, who had joined the boys at the back of the greenhouse.

"Fred was thinking about it," he said casually, as though it was something they might do every day, "But I don't suppose you're game, Rosie, I don't think your new friends would approve," he glanced towards Daisy and Amelia, who were still laughing happily in the front row.

"Merlin no! Daisy's a stickler for the rules," Rose said cheerfully, "And Amelia's too stupid to even know what mauling is!"

"So you're not 'BFF's yet?" Cygnus asked snidely.

"Who says 'BFF's anymore, Cyg, that was so 2010!" Rose commented, before clapping her hand over her mouth, "I'm even starting to sound like them! Merlin save me!" she started to walk back to her seat at the front of the room, "And for the record, mauling Snow is exactly what I feel like. Common room after school?"

"Sure," Fred said, on behalf of all the boys, Rose skipped off to her seat, "Wow. Well someone's certainly in a good mood."

"Nice to know her little sulks over," said Cygnus.

"Yes it was becoming rather tiresome," said James.

"_Arrogant_," Fred coughed, and James slapped him round the face with his quill.

* * *

As November thickened, the second years discovered, through a combination of Cygnus and their WMRL's that a muggle election had not yet been called, as predicted. James had come to the conclusion that the _Addo Malum_ he suspected Professor Snow had used on the Prime Minister had ceased to work. Rose, who was now fully on board with their mission, had told him not to be quite so hasty, as although she had a strong suspicion that Snow was behind it, she didn't want to blame her unnecessarily.

"But Rose, Cygnus _knows_ that Snow is bad news!" James said one evening in the common room. They had found themselves sitting up by the fire until very late most evenings, often accompanied by Lily Potter. Of course she meant that they couldn't discuss their plans to somehow take down the WDP, but Rose seemed to have taken a shine to her, despite James hating her guts.

"But that doesn't mean she's using the tea to do all this! Mum says-"

"-I don't give a toss what your mum says, Rose!" Cygnus shouted, "She's a teacher, so she's bound to side with one of her own!"

"But she respects James and me," said Rose defensively, "so if she genuinely thought anything was wrong, she would say something!"

James refrained from saying some callous remark about Hermione. He was still angry with her, for ignoring him in class, for not telling him they were moving house, and for giving him detention for months on end. Rose hadn't yet caught on to his prolonged dislike for her mother, and so he chose not to anger her as she was the sort to hold a grudge for weeks on end, and more importantly, she would make him talk to Hermione, which was about the last thing he wanted to do. The common room was silent for a moment, and the only sound to be heard was the slow crackling of the fire. Just as James was about to get up and go to bed there was a small noise, barely audible had they been talking, but due to the state of silence all four of them jumped.

"What was that?" Fred whispered, the other three shrugged their shoulders, and looked suspiciously around the room. The noise sounded again, this time slightly louder, it sounded almost like a cough or a sneeze of a child with a terrible cold.

"Hello?" Rose called out, and there was a tiny scurrying noise. Out of nowhere, a small creature the size of child appeared. It looked almost human, only it had huge bat-like ears, great blue-grey eyes, which stared emptily up at the four of them, and many folds of greyish skin, giving it the appearance of an elderly man. It wore nothing but a dirty ragged pillow case and a tarnished silver locket, and had tufty white hair sprouting from its overlarge nose and ears.

The creature screamed loudly, and James jumped about a foot in the air, "What is it!" he asked Rose hurriedly.

"A house-elf," she whispered back quickly, before clearing her throat and saying loudly, "Hello, my name is Rose Weasley, I presume you are one of the Hogwarts house-elves?"

The house-elf had a look of distinct dislike for Rose, and its face scrunched into a tiny ball as though it had just eaten an entire lemon, "Kreacher will not be spoken to by filth. Kreacher will not serve the Weasley girl! Kreacher wants _his_ mistress- oh yes, Miss Bellatrix was always so lovely to Kreacher-"

"-Kreacher?" Rose asked warily, and the house-elf whimpered again, "Are you talking about Bellatrix Le Strange?"

Before James could ask who Bellatrix Le Strange was, Kreached smiled broadly, "Miss Bella, yes-" he said dreamily, "always so lovely to Kreacher- not like the spoilt boy. Yes. Master _Sirius_ got what he deserved. Mingling with Mudbloods and filth- but not Regulus, no, no, no, no, no…"

He appeared to have dazed off into some sort of trance, which gave James an opportunity to question Rose, "What in the name of Merlin is happening?"

"This is _Kreacher_," said Rose, as though it would make complete sense to him, "The house-elf-"

"-yes, I got that far," said James, "But what exactly is a house-elf, and how are you acquainted with such a delightful creature?"

"House-elves are creatures that have been enslaved to wizards, they are tied to their family's house, and have to obey any orders they are given," she explained hurriedly, and Kreacher continued to mutter under his breath, "Kreacher served the House of Black- mum told me all about him-" she paused, "And before you ask Cygnus, yes, that is your family-"

At the sound of Cygnus' name, Kreacher seemed to break from his trance, and suddenly buckled to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, "Master! Master! Master!" he shrieked, as Cygnus attempted to shake his legs free, as the small house-elf had grabbed them with his gnarled hands.

"How do you know him though?" James asked over the clamour, as Cygnus jumped up and down, Kreacher still refusing to release him.

"He was tied to the family at the time that Sirius Black died," Rose explained, "Your dad inherited the house he lived in James, and so he inherited Kreacher too. Your dad sent him to work at Hogwarts to avoid any difficulties- Kreacher apparently had a habit of running away to more 'worthy' masters, like his precious Bellatrix. He supposedly changed his ways when your dad, and my parents went into hiding, but then he disappeared after Voldemort was killed-"

"-so this elf has been alive for how long?" James asked.

"About 60 years it seems," said Rose, "They've been known to live up to a hundred if they need to though. Anyway, he disappeared for about five years according to mum, but then the day after your parents were killed, he reappeared in Hogwarts, asking for a job- completely unexpected apparently, but McGonagall agreed, purely because he was completely mad and she felt sorry for him-"

"Rose!" Cgynus shouted, still battling with the elf's fierce grip, "Get this bloody thing off me!"

Rose shrugged and said, "You could try it, you're a Black after all, he might obey you."

"Get off Kreacher!" Cygnus said in a commanding voice, and the elf instantly released him, "Cool! But I thought you said that he went to James' dad after Sirius died-?"

"-according to house-elf law, if an elf changes families, at the death of that family member, the elf returns to the family of origin, in short, when Harry died, Kreacher went back to the Blacks."

"You look very like that nasty boy," said Kreacher, looking quizzically at Cygnus, "You're eyes are cold like the nasty boy's. Not like Master Regulus' eyes. No Master Regulus always had time for Kreacher-"

"-Kreacher why are you here?" Rose asked, "Have you been cleaning?"

The elf shook his head, and a mad grin spread across his wrinkled face, "No, no, no, no, no! My Mistress sent me here! Mistress Bella!"

Rose looked sceptically across at James and whispered, "Bellatrix was killed at the same time as Voldemort, he's obviously bonkers," she turned to Kreacher and asked kindly, "When did Mistress Bella send you here Kreacher?"

"This morning," said Kreacher madly, "Kreacher was in the greenhouses with his Mistress and she told Kreacher to find the Potter boy and so Kreacher came to the Gryffindor tower and Kreacher found the Potter boy and his friends. Yes, his Mistress will be so pleased with him-"

"-Where is your Mistress, Kreacher?" James asked.

Kreacher shook his head, "Kreacher cannot say," he said, and with a loud CRACK, he vanished.

"Bed?" Fred asked quietly, looking slightly shell-shocked, and the four of them trooped off to their dorms without another word.

* * *

James' dreams that night were filled with strange images of Kreacher talking to a hooded figure in the Hogwarts grounds, telling him to kill everyone in Gryffindor, or she would not buy him a new Xbox 360. Then Kreacher morphed into Dunstan Dursley, who sobbed uncontrollably, saying he couldn't do magic, and so would never be able to kill all of those people, at which point the hooded figure was revealed to be James' Grandfather, who said that Dunstan was a disappointment to the Potter family and would be pecked to death by crows at dawn.

James awoke with a start. His dormitory was filled with the dull, misty early morning half-light of November, he rubbed the sleep away from his eyes and put his glasses on. He glanced across to the clock on his bedside table, and saw that it was only half past six. Fred, Cygnus, Kerry and Lysander were all still fast asleep in their beds, snoring happily in the case of Fred. James soon found what had caused him to awake so early, as when he went to look out of the small diamond paned window; he saw his owl, Luna, perched on the ledge. He let the window open and the owl flew in, dropping a letter and a small parcel onto his bed, before flying out again in the direction on the Owlery. James walked quickly back to his bed, and opened the letter first, reading it quickly and fervently,

_Dear James,_

_I thought you might be beginning to wonder why Hermione and I have been so distant with you this past term- never doubt that we both love you, never. Only we have been having some trouble of our own- people are hardly welcoming to me, and so we chose to move house. A fresh start, you know? Anyway, we thought it would be nice to move to Godric's Hollow. This probably won't mean anything to you at all at the moment, but we know you'll love the house we've found. Anyway, when we were clearing out some of the things which the previous owners had left behind I found this, and thought you ought to have it- you'll figure out how to work it in your own time, after all, what's the fun in me just telling you? Just remember, that this was once a favourite possession of your uncles Fred and George._

_Of course you and Rose will be returning home from school in a few weeks' time, so the house should be ready by then. This may all sound a little hurried and confused, but the muggle removals lorry has just pulled up outside and I need to hide any evidence of us being wizards! I have also enclosed an old photo for you,_

_Much Love, Ron_.

James re-read the letter. He knew he had heard of Godric's Hollow before, but he couldn't quite remember where. He tore open the package to reveal a photograph and what looked like a blank piece of old parchment. He looked at the photograph first, and instantly recognised the faces which smiled and waved up at him. The first was his father's, grinning madly at the camera, his eyes flickering between his wife and the giggling baby in her arms. They were standing in the garden of a cottage, which they obviously lived in. The door to the hallway was wide open, and there were three pairs of Wellingtons stood outside it, one of which was tiny and red. James turned the photo over and read the description, written in an untidy scrawl, _Me, Ginny and James at Godric's Hollow_. That was where he knew the name from! They were moving to the town where he had once lived with his parents! He remembered reading the name on a letter from his father to Hermione last year.

He turned now to the blank parchment Ron had also enclosed. It was obviously important, and had some use, as his Uncle had suggested, all he had to do was find out how to use it.

* * *

**Sorry its taken me so long to update, but I've had so much work to do! Anyway, sorry the chapter's a bit short, but I hope you love it all the same :)**

**as always:**

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	36. Apologies :

Hey guys-

I've suddenly realised that I haven't updated in over a year… not quite sure how this happened! I still have loads of ideas for my story, however due to the pressure of exams (anyone currently taking their AS levels will understand) I have literally no time to just sit down and write… a shame really L but I hope you guys miss me as much as I miss you…

I hope you'll come back to me when I finally finish James' adventures… it took JK Rowling almost 20 years to finish Harry Potter- hopefully it won't take me that long!

Love Mirandoo


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